At Odds
by Fairytailfanatic247
Summary: Dean and Sam meet an old friend on their search for their father. How will they react to having her around again. Read to find out. Rated M for language, and maybe some make out sessions in a bar somewhere. Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Supernatural. The only thing that belongs to me is my OC.
1. The Benders

A/N: Yay! Supernatural story! I just finished watching season 1, and I love the Winchesters. If you're reading this, I bet you do too. I hope you enjoy.

How did I get myself in this mess? I'm supposed to be some sort of professional in this odd field of work. Maybe that's why these men caught me off guard. I am such an idiot. In this musty room I am trapped in a metal cage. Some sort of switch operates the heavy-duty lock on the three cages, including mine. My captors feed me once per day, and they recently brought in an older man. I had seen him in town before I was taken. I remember talking to him about the odd disappearances in this small town of Hibbing, Minnesota. I had talked to John about this town about a year ago.

The man they brought in got angry at me, then he would fall asleep, then he would wake up as they brought us food. That cycle repeated itself for a couple days until another person was brought to this horrid place. He looks familiar to me, but with no light I can't see much detail. Having all three cages full does not bode well for us. The man was thrown in the cage and the captors left.

A couple hours go by before the new captive wakes up in panic. He's breathing heavy as he tries to understand his surroundings. He stands up, but because of the height of the cage he can't stand all the way. I think I do know this guy. His face passes through the limited beam of light, and his name is right on the tip of my tongue. I watch as he grasps the bars of the cage and shakes it, trying to find a weakness in the structure. I smile because I have tried the same thing before. He looks over at the other cage. The annoying man, who always seems like he's mad at me, is sleeping.

I continue to stay quiet as he grabs the top of the cage. He swings from the top of the cage and uses his legs as a battering ram against one of the door of his cage. Again, I've tried to do that same thing myself. I try to think of his name as his actions get him nowhere. With all of the noise of the new guy trying to escape, the annoying guy finally wakes up. The man's movement startles the new guy.

"You're alive?" He says to the waking man. That voice. Now I know for sure who it is. A smile makes its way to my face. It has to be a Winchester. "Hey, you okay?" He says in response to the annoying guy's grunts and groans.

"Does it look like I'm doing okay?" The guy replies. What a jerk.

"Where are we?" The newbie asks.

"I don't know." Even I'm still trying to figure that out. "Country, I think. Smells like the country."

"You're Alvin Jenkins aren't you?"

"Yeah." The Winchester chuckles as he breathes a sigh.

"Wow, I was lookin' for ya."

"Oh yeah?" Alvin asks.

"Yeah." He's clearly not John, and he doesn't sound like Dean, so that means this must be little Sammy.

"Well, no offense, but this is a piss poor rescue."

"Shut up Alvin." I finally pipe up, making my presence known. Sam is taken aback by my voice. "Don't listen to him, Sammy." I say as I get as close to the wall of bars closest to Sammy's cage. "He's been lashing out at me since he got here." Sam looks at me confused.

"How do you know my name?" He seems a bit creeped out, and I laugh out loud.

"Come on Sammy. Don't you recognize your own brother's best female friend?" I watch as his eyes go wide.

"Shelby?" He asks. He still seems confused, though. "How are you here?"

"I got a tip about something strange going on in this town, so I had to check it out." He nods in understanding. "I let my guard down and was brought here." I think about something before voicing the thought. "So, where is my best friend? You must've come here with him."

"Dean's probably lookin' for us." Sam doesn't seem too sure about that.

"Let's hope he can find us." I say softly. Dean's good, but even I was having a hard time with this case before I was taken.

"So," Sam snaps me out of my thoughts. "What are they?" He asks me. "Have you seen them? What do they look like?" I hear the doors being opened.

"You'll see soon enough, Sammy." I sit as far away from the door of my cage as possible as the door to the room is opened. Two figures in hoods come in. One grabs a bat and hits the door of Alvin's cage. One goes to the lock release button as Alvin backs away from his cage's door. They open the cage long enough to slide in a plate with food and a cup of some liquid in it. They do the same with my cage. They don't give Sam any food though. They just hit his cage with their bat. The cage doors are locked before they leave.

"I'll be damned." Sam says in shock. "They're just people."

"Extremely disturbed people." I say as I pick at the food they've given me.

"Yeah, what'd you expect?" Alvin asks.

"How often do they feed you two?" Sam asks.

"Once a day." I reply.

"Yeah, they use that thing over there to open the cage." Alvin points to the control box.

"And that's the only time you see 'em?" The Winchester boy asks.

"Other than bringing you two in?" I say, gesturing to the two men in front of me. "Yeah."

"I'm waitin'." Alvin states.

"Waitin' for what?" I ask, chuckling a bit.

"Ned Beatty time, man." He answers, and I let out a loud laugh.

"I think that's the least of your worries, right now." Sam replies.

"Yeah," I say. "I've been here longer than you, and they haven't tried anything with me."

"Maybe they're not into ugly chicks." The man says.

"You're just mad because I didn't want to sleep with you." I reach my hand through the bars of my cage so he could see my hand gesture. "Fuck off man." I say as I flip him off. I retract my hand and look at Sam. He is reaching through the top of his cage and grabbing onto some weird pipe or wire hanging near him. Alvin also watches Sam's actions.

"What do you think they want?" The asshole asks.

"Depends on who they are." Sam replies as he starts pulling on the large metal wire.

"They're a bunch of psycho hillbilly rednecks, if you ask me. Lookin' for love in all the wrong places." Alvin finishes his thoughts as Sam continues to pull at the wire. I hear something slightly give way at his actions. That just fires him up even more, and he continues to pull. "Why don't you give it up Sammy? There's no way out."

"Don't." Sam says, struggling with the wire. "Call me." He tugs one more time as he finishes his sentence. "Sammy." The wire is released from the ceiling and Sam falls backwards.

"She calls you Sammy." Alvin says, pointing to me.

"What are you? Five?" I ask the stupid man. Sam coughs as the dust settles. He picks up something that fell into his cage. "What is that?" I ask. He inspects it in the light before answering.

"It's a bracket."

"Oh, thank god, a bracket. Now we got 'em, huh?" Alvin says sarcastically. He is getting on my last nerve. Suddenly the door to Alvin's cage unlocks and opens. We all look at his door in shock. "Must've been a short." Alvin gets off his ass and opens his door a bit further. "Maybe you knocked something loose." He steps out of his cage and looks around. It seems suspicious that only his door was opened. I wish he would just go away, though.

"I think you should get back in there Jenkins." Sam says to him. He has the same feeling as me. This is a trap of some sort. It has to be. "This isn't right."

"Don't you wanna get outta here?" He asks Sam.

"Yeah, but that was too easy." Sam says.

"Look," Alvin says. "I'm gonna get outta here. I'm gonna send help, okay? Don't worry."

"No." Sam tries to stop him, but when an idiot has his mind set on one thing he can't think about anything else. "I'm serious. Jenkins, this might be a trap."

"It most definitely is a trap." I say. Alvin is not even listening. He waves to us as he exits the room.

"Jenkins!" Sam tries one more time, but it's no use. The man is already gone. We hear a heavy door open and close from where we are.

"Good riddance." I say to myself.

"How can you say that?" Sam says solemnly. "He's probably gonna be killed by those people."

"Guys like that don't deserve to live." I say. "He's an idiot, and he tried to roofie me after I denied his advances."

"What?"

"Yeah. He tried to hit on me when I was asking questions about the disappearances, and I was not having any of it." I tell him. "I go to the restroom and I see him pouring something in my bottle of beer. I walk over and ask the bartender for a different bottle. He got pissed about being caught and stormed out." Sam stayed silent after that. A couple minutes later a scream is heard. "Well, shit," I say. "I thought he'd last longer than that." We sit in silence for a couple hours. I decide to break it. "So, how's Dean?" I ask casually.

"Are you really starting up small talk?" He seems almost annoyed.

"Well, I don't like the silence, so excuse me for trying to catch up with an old friend." I say. There is a long pause before Sam speaks.

"Dean's good, I guess."

"That's good." I think of something else to talk about. "And the Impala?"

"Also good. Maybe a few small dents and scratches since I joined Dean on the road." He answers. "But he's been able to fix it all up real easy."

"And how did he get you to join him on the road?"

"It's a long story." He says.

"Does it look like we're going anywhere, Sammy?" He sighs in defeat as he explains everything that happened, from the oddly familiar death of his girlfriend to now. "I'm so sorry about your girlfriend." I don't know what else to say. "I am glad that you and Dean are working together to look for your dad. I haven't seen him in a while."

"I guess." Sam's simple answer was the end of our conversation until the door to the room was opened. The two figures drag in the body of a woman I had talked to when I was investigating. She works at the Sheriff's department. The captors leave once they lock the woman in the cage. Sam and I wait in silence for her to wake up. About half an hour later she wakes up, grabbing the back of her head. "You alright?" Sam decides to get her attention. She looks over toward him.

"Are you Sam Winchester?" She asks. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Your, uh, your cousin's looking for you." She says. She must be referring to Dean.

"Thank God." I say. She looks to me and seems surprised.

"Shelby?" She asks. "I thought you left town."

"Nope. I'm still here." I chuckle.

"Where's my cousin?" Sam asks the woman.

"I, uh, I cuffed him to my car." She answers. Mere seconds later the door to the cellar opens. The three of us look towards the figure that enters. A smile makes it to my face as the silhouette becomes more familiar. He looks around the dimly lit room until he makes it far enough to see us in the cages. He goes straight to his brother.

"Sam?" He calls out to his brother. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Sam smiles. Dean smiles back at him, then he lifts his eyes to look towards me.

"Well, look who we have here." He says as he walks over to my cage. "I see you can't keep out of trouble without me, Shel." I smile as he smirks at me.

"Maybe so." I reply.

"It's so good to see you guys." He says. The other woman in the room pipes up.

"How did you get outta the cuffs?" She says. Dean looks up at her.

"Oh, I know a little trick or two." He says, making him seem so snarky. Oh how I missed this man. Dean looks at the lock on Sam's cage. "Oh. These locks look like they're gonna be a bitch." I giggle at that.

"I know right?" I say playfully. Sam reaches through the bars and points to the box with the button for the door.

"There's some kind of automatic control…right there." Dean follows the pointing finger to the box. Then he turns back to Sam and I.

"Have you guys seem 'em?" Sam beats me to the explanation.

"Yeah, dude, they're just people." Sam shakes his head in disbelief of his own words. We spend our lives finding and dealing with the supernatural, that this is just out of our wheelhouse.

"And they jumped you?" Dean asks. Sam shakes his head in disbelief once again. "Must be getting' a little rust there, kiddo." Then he looks to me. "You too. I expect you to be the smart one." He points to me before going over to the control box.

"Being smart has nothing to do with me being captured." I try to defend myself. "I was jumped in the dark by two guys. I had little to no time to react before they knocked me out."

"Fine, fine." The older Winchester brother says. "What do they want?"

"I don't know." I answer. I've been here longer than Sam, so if anyone would know it would be me.

"They let Jenkins go, but," Sam adds. "That was some sort of trap." I watch as Dean tries to press the buttons to release the locks, but it doesn't work. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Yeah, well, that's the point." Dean replies. "You know with our," He pauses, stopping himself from getting too into what we actually do in front of the Sheriff lady. "Our usual playmates there-there's rules, there's patterns. But with people, they're just crazy." Dean closes the control box and inspects the cage of the other woman.

"See anything else out there?" Sam asks.

"Uh huh, there's about a dozen junked cars hidden out back." Dean answers. "Plates from all over, so I'm thinkin' when they take someone they take their car too."

"Did you see a black mustang out there? About ten years old?" The Sheriff lady asks.

"Yeah, actually, I did." Dean answers. The woman gets a solemn expression. "Your brother's?" She nods and looks down at the ground. "I'm sorry." A moment passes before Dean speaks again. "Let's get you guys outta here, and then we'll take care of those bastards." He turns to Sam and I. "This thing takes a key." He says gesturing to the control box. "Key?" Asking us with one word if we've seen one.

"Uh, I don't know." Sam says. I just shrug my shoulders.

"Alright, I better go find it." Dean turns around to go searching around for the key.

"Hey." Sam calls to him, causing Dean to turn around. "Be careful."

"Always am, Sammy." Dean answers. "Isn't that right, Shel?" I chuckle before answering.

"I think we all know the truth." I smile at him. He returns it before hunting down the key.

Dean POV

I go in search of the key to release my brother, Shelby, and the cop. As I look around I see the strangest things. There are pictures of their kills, objects made out of bones, and the like. As I spot some keys on a desk a little girl, who calls out to her dad, attacks me. I put up a fight with two people before another one is finally able to knock me out. When I wake up I am tied to a chair. As I try to place my surroundings I hear a fire crackling behind me. I lift my head and see the strange family in front of me.

"Let us hunt 'im." One of them asks the older man.

"Yeah, this one's a fighter." The other man says. "Sure'd be fun to hunt." The old man laughs at the comments as everything finally clicks.

"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me." I say and I lean my head back a bit. "That's what this is about? Y-you, you yahoos hunt people?" They stay silent as the older man begins to talk to me.

"You ever killed before?" He asks me.

"W-well that depends on what you mean." I sort of laugh. I've killed monsters and other creatures, but no actual people, yet.

"I've hunted all my life." The old man begins. "Just like my father, his before him. I've hunted deer, and bear; I even got a cougar once. But the best hunt is human." This guy is sick. "Oh, there's nothing like it. Holding their life in your hands, seeing the fear in their eyes just before they go dark." He closes his eyes, relishing in the thought of what he's describing to me. "Makes you feel powerful, alive."

"You're a sick puppy." I say to him. His facial expression drops. I guess he didn't like my comment. He stands up as he speaks again.

"We give 'em a weapon, give 'em a fightin' chance. It's kinda like our tradition passed down father to son. Course only one or two a year." The man moves to my left. "Never enough to bring the lot down. O' course; if a bunch of newcomers travel into town, it's a field day for us. We've never been sloppy enough to go after too many locals."

"Yeah, well, don't sell yourself short." I say as I look up at the man. "You're plenty sloppy." I taste blood in the corner of my mouth. I try to search for the injury with my tongue. As I hit the cut on the inside of my mouth, my face scrunches up a little.

"So what? You with that pretty cop?" he asks. I don't say anything. "Are you a cop?" I chuckle at that. I've pretended to be a cop many times, but I am nothing remotely like a cop.

"If I tell you, you promise not to make me into an ashtray?" I joke, even though this is not the best time to be making jokes. He looks over at the two men in front of me and one of them storms forward and punches me in the face. It hurt like a bitch.

"Only reason I don't let my boys take you right here and now, is that there's somethin' I need to know." He walks closer to the crackling fire behind me as I continue to joke around. I just can't help it.

"Yeah, how bout it's not nice to marry your sister?" I say. I hear metallic scratching noises.

"Tell me." He says, coming back over to me. "Any of the cops gonna come lookin' for you?"

"Ah, eat me." I pause thinking about it. "No, no, wait, wait, wait you actually might." I say as I feel a stream of blood come from my nose. One of the guys comes over and holds my head in one position. I see the older man come around in front of me with a metal rod. The end was heated, red hot, in the fire.

"You think this is funny?" The older man says holding the heated rod near my face. "You brought this down on my family." Now the situation is finally setting in. Sammy and I might not get out of this one. "Alright, you wanna play games? We'll play some games." Suddenly I think about Shelby. I haven't seen her in what feels like years. What if we never see each other again? We've always been pretty close, but we went our separate ways for a stupid reason. It was mostly my fault. I need to apologize. I need to set things right with her. "Looks like we're gonna have a hunt tonight after all, boys." He looks between the guys. He continues when he looks back at me. "And you get to pick the animal." Oh geeze. "The boy, the girl, or the cop?" He asks me. I think about a way to try and get out of this.

"Wait, wait. Look, nobody's comin' for me, all right? It's just us." I say, trying to reason with him.

"We don't choose our will." The old man holds the red hot metal to my shoulder for a second. It hurt worse than the punch to the face.

"Oh, you son of a bitch." I seethe in pain. The same hot metal is brought close to my eye as he speaks again. I stare at it in fear.

"Next time I'll take an eye." He threatens.

"Alright, the guy, the guy, take the guy." I say quickly. I know Sam will be able to hold his own against these guys. The old man smiles as he takes a key, hanging on a chain, from around his neck. He hands it to one of the guys.

"Nate, go do it." The old man says. Before the guy turns to leave the old man stops him. "Don't let 'im out, though. Shoot 'im in the cage." That doesn't sound right.

"What?" They look to me. "I thought you said you were gonna hunt 'im. You're gonna give 'im a chance."

"Nate!" He calls to the guy who was walking away with the key. "When you're done with the boy, shoot the bitches too." No, no, no, no, no. This is not happening. "We gotta clean this mess up before any cops come runnin' out here." I watch in fear as the guy grabs the rifle and heads to the cages.

Shelby POV

What is taking so long? He better not 'ave gotten himself caught. I'll have to add it to the list of things he will never live down. I can tell that Sam is on edge, just like me. It's not like Dean to take so long. Finally, we hear the door to the room open I watch the figure closely. I'm getting a bad vibe. This person isn't Dean. Whoever it is, is way too skinny. He heads straight for the control box.

"What're you doing?" Sam asks. The guy pushes a button and Sam's door is unlocked. What is going on? The guy walks closer to Sam's cage as he pulls a rifle from his shoulder. The door to Sammy's cage is opened.

"Woah, woah, woah. What's happening?" I frantically ask as the gun is aimed at Sam. My breathing quickens. I see Sam throw the bracket, which fell from the ceiling before, at the guy. It distracts him and he fires the gun too high to hit Sammy. The two of them struggle for the gun, and Sam gets the upper hand quickly. He stands up trying to use the pump on the gun, but it's jammed.

"Damn." He whispers.

"Hey, let us out." I say. He looks up at me a second. "If they don't hear back from their man soon they're gonna send someone else." He drops the gun and heads over to the control box. The cop's cage and mine are unlocked. Sam and I put the unconscious man in Sam's cage, and we lock it up. Sam takes the key from the control box, the cop finds the fuses and makes sure the other people won't be able to see us, and we head into a connecting room to try and hide from whoever is sent to investigate. This is when I notice that we're actually in a barn of some sort.

I hide under a tractor as Sam climbs into the loft and the cop hides in a cabinet. The door leading outside is right there. I can just slip out and leave. Maybe I should go see what happened with Dean. He better not be dead. That would be really disappointing. It's too late to move now. I watch as an old man and a middle aged man come in with their guns poised to shoot. The older man gestures for the middle aged man to search the side of the room that the cop and I are hiding in. The old man then climbs the ladder, where Sam is hiding.

I watch the middle aged man closely. He cautiously walks around, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly the cop moves the door of the cabinet she's hiding in. What the heck? The guy goes over to investigate. I leave my hiding spot and sneak up behind the large man. Before he is able to shoot at the cabinet I jump on his back. I wrap my arms around his neck, which causes him to drop his gun. As he struggles to get me off, and the cop comes out of hiding and picks up the gun. The guy slams me back into a wooden post. I let him go and fall to the ground. As I look up at the guy I see the cop hit him in the head with the butt of the gun many times. He falls to the floor.

Suddenly, I see Sam running around the corner. The older man is right on his tail. Sam runs past the cop as she raises the gun and shoots the older man in the shoulder. Sam crouches next to me, after the man falls to the floor.

"Are you alright?" He asks me.

"Yeah, just reinjured my back is all." I strain as I try to control my breathing. I injured my back when I was out on the road with the Winchesters a while back. We got into a tough spot, and I ended up being thrown into a boulder by a pretty strong creature. Dean had to carry me to a hospital, and I was bedridden for over a week. John was so pissed. After I was released from the hospital he yelled at me for an hour straight.

"Okay, I guess I'm gonna have to drag that big guy into one of the cages by myself." He stands up and drags the man into one of the free cages. Once he was locked in, he came back and helped me stand. I had my right arm wrapped around his head as he supported me around my waist. It doesn't hurt as much as the first time, so that's something good to think about. We stand there and look to the cop. She's holding the gun, and aiming it at the older man. He's still lying on the ground, conscious.

"I'll watch this one. You two go ahead." The cop says. I know what she's gonna do, and I feel like Sammy knows too. When we don't move she urges us. "Go ahead." I lightly nudge Sam towards the exit. I can tell he didn't want to leave her alone. Sam brings me to the porch and carefully sits me down on the steps. He goes inside to try and find Dean. I breathe through the pain in my back. Soon I hear a gunshot coming from the barn. I knew it. I knew she was gonna shoot 'im. The door opens behind me and two sets of footsteps come towards me.

"I see you hurt your back again, Shel." I roll my eyes at that statement. "Maybe it's time for you to retire." I sarcastically laugh as he walks down the stairs and stands in front of me. He helps me stand like Sam did before, but on the other side of his body. I see that he has some sort of injury on his left shoulder. I'll have to ask him about that. We take a few steps before seeing the cop walking towards us. She meets up with us at the stairs.

"Where's the little girl?" She asks.

"I locked her in the closet." Dean answered. "What about the dad?" He asks, talking about the older man. I look at Sam, standing to my right, and he looks at me.

"Shot, trying to escape." She answers. That is such a lie.

We walk around the grounds as the cop calls for backup. The pain in my back becomes more of a dull ache, so I am able to walk on my own now. I look around for some of my belongings. My backpack was thrown in one of the cars hidden in the back. I don't think my back can handle the weight of my bag, so I call Sam over to get it for me. I see he has his jacket back, and I smile at him as he walks over.

"Hey, Sammy." I say. "Could you get my bag from the car?" I gesture to the car my bag was thrown in.

"Sure thing." He says. "How's your back?" He asks as he reaches in and pulls my backpack from the car.

"It's okay. A bit sore, but nothing I can't handle." I smile at him. I hold my hand out for him to hand me my bag. He just smiles at me as he puts one strap of the bag over his shoulder. "Hey, what're you doing?"

"Your back needs to recover a bit more before you put this much weight on it." He says as he starts to walk back to where Dean was waiting for us.

"Oh, come on, Sammy. I'm fine." I say as I try to reach for the strap. He pushes my hand away as we stop in front of Dean.

"Oh, I think I'll be the judge of that." Dean says. I glare at him.

"Who put you in charge?" I ask him. I look to Sam again with my hand out. "I need to get moving, kid. Now give me my back pack." He smiles and shakes his head at me.

"I don't think so." Sam states.

"Why don't you travel with us for a while." Dean suggests.

"I'm more of a solo type of girl." I glare at him. "Or have you forgotten?" He takes a deep breath as he rolls his eyes.

"No, I haven't forgotten, Shel." He looks back at me. "Just stay with us for a little while, for old times sake." I stay silent, thinking about the offer. It's true. My backpack is too heavy for me to carry right now. I am by myself, and that might not be a good thing after I was just captured by crazy people. Maybe this would be okay for now. I haven't spent time with them in a long time. It might be nice to have some company on the road.

"Fine." I sigh reluctantly. Sam's smile grows, and Dean smirks at me. Dean turns around and walks towards the front of the house. Sam and I follow him. "So," I say trying to get Dean's attention. "Where's the Impala?"

"I think it's at the police station." Dean answers as we stop to talk to the cop.

"So," She starts. "State police and the FBI are gonna be here within the hour. They're gonna wanna talk to you." Oh god, I hope we don't have to really talk to the authorities. "I suggest that you three are long gone by then." Yes! Thank you! I celebrate inside, but on the outside I am calm and collected. We all nod in understanding.

"Thanks." Dean says. "Hey listen, I don't mean to press our luck, but we're kinda in the middle of nowhere. Think we could catch a ride?" He asks the cop.

"Start walking." She answers. "Duck if you see a squad car."

"Sounds great to me." Sam says as he walks past Dean and I with my bag still over his shoulder.

"Listen, uh, I'm sorry about your brother." Dean says to the lady.

"Thank you." She replies. "It was really hard not knowing what happened to 'im. I thought it would be easier once I knew the truth, but it isn't really." I can't help but feel bad for this lady. It's almost better not knowing. "Anyway, you should go." She forces a smile, and the three of us begin to walk down the road. We get a few yards away when Dean speaks up.

"Don't ever do that again." He says to Sam.

"Do what?" the kid asks.

"Go missin' like that." Dean clarifies.

"Aww, is big bro getting all protective now?" I chuckle.

"Shut up, Shel." He snaps a bit at me.

"Suck it up you baby." I say as I softly punch his arm. "Plus, if Sam hadn't gone missing, you never would've found me." I finish as I tuck my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.

"True." Dean replies. "But if either of you vanishes like that again, I'm not lookin' for you."

"Sure, sure." I chuckle, and Sam joins in.

"So, You got sidelined by a thirteen year old girl, huh?" Sam points out.

"Oh, shut up." Dean replies as I chuckle some more.

"Just sayin', getting rusty there, kiddo." Oh Sammy.

"Oh, shut up." Dean laughs, realizing Sam was copying the words from earlier. The three of us laugh softly and continue on our way into town. Oh, I missed this. The banter, the companionship. Maybe I could get used to being on a team again.

A/N: So, how did you like it? I would love to know what you guys think about it. If you read my other stories, you'll know that I'm all over the place with my stories, but I think this will be like my Once Upon A Time story. I'll try and update as often as i can, but I make no promises. Again, I would really like to know what you guys think of this chapter and my original character Shelby. I can't wait to read your reviews.


	2. Between Cases 1

A/N: Here's some between cases. I think I might do this for each one, but we'll see. I hope you enjoy.

Finally we get back into town, and we hop in the Impala. We head to a local diner to grab something to eat for breakfast. The three of us sit at a booth. I take up one side by leaning my back on the wall and stretch my legs out across the seat. Sam sits on the other side of the booth, but Dean just stands at the end of the table.

"Something wrong?" I ask him with a smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sam push farther into his side of the booth. Dean rolls his eyes and sighs before sitting down. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to sit next to me, handsome?" I say sarcastically. He refuses to say anything as we wait for a waitress to bring us menus.

Finally a waitress comes over with menus and asks us what we wanted to drink. I order iced coffee and they order regular coffee. As the woman walks away I catch Dean watching her with a smile on his face. I scoff out loud and he snaps his attention to me.

"What?" He asks defensively.

"Nothing. I just remembered why I went solo." I say as I look through the menu. I'm sure you can cut the tension with a knife, poor Sammy. The waitress comes back and we place our order. Dean stands from his seat and heads towards the restroom. Sam decides to try and break the tension while Dean is away.

"What's going on between you two?" He asks, leaning over the table towards me. "I mean, you guys have always been close, and you seemed fine earlier." I try to look around for a distraction, but I can't find one. I really don't want to talk about it, but I decide to tell him as vaguely as possible.

"We decided to go our separate ways after a particularly bad fight we had." I say. He squints his eyes at me.

"What was the fight about?" He asks. I think about telling him, but I decide against it for now. I see Dean heading back to the table.

"Not now, Sammy." I answer, and he sits back with a huff. Dean sits next to Sam and we wait in silence for our food. Once our plates arrive, the silence is broken only by the sound of chewing and drinking. Suddenly, Dean slammed his fist on the table and stood up. Sam and I look up at him in confusion. "What's up?" I ask him.

"Can I talk to you outside please, Shel?" He asks gesturing to the front door. I look to Sam for a second before standing from the booth and following Dean outside. Once out in the sunlight Dean turns to me.

"What is this about?" I ask him. He looks agitated.

"You know what this is about. What happened between us, we need to call some sort of truce here." I laugh at his words.

"I can leave." I say. "You're the one who wants me to stay around. Maybe you need to come to terms with what **you** did to me back then." I jab him in the chest with my pointer finger, and he just looks at me. "I can put it aside to travel with you and Sammy. Can you?" He's silent. "Cuz if you can't I'll leave right after I'm done eating." There is a pause before he nods.

"Yeah." He says rubbing the back of his head. "I can put it aside for now, but we eventually have to talk about this."

"I'm ready whenever you are, buddy." I say as I walk back inside. I sit on my side of the booth and start eating my food again. I look up at Sam and he's giving me a curious look. "I'll tell you when you're older, kiddo." I laugh. He joins me in the laugh as Dean comes back and sits down.

"So, where to next?" He asks as he takes a sip of his coffee. I smile at him, and as our eyes meet so does he. Sammy starts talking about a story he saw in a newspaper that might be something, but I don't hear a word he says. My eyes are locked on Dean's. I hear Sammy clear his throat and I snap out of it.

"Something in Chicago?" I ask Sam, trying to prove I was listening to him.

"Sounds promising." Dean says, doing the same thing as me. We finish up our food, pay, and head out to the next case.

A/N: I hope you liked it. What could the argument be about? It could be a few things, but I won't tell just yet. Please review. I'd love to know what you think of Shelby.


	3. Shadow

A/N: Yay! Another chapter. This is a really long one guys. I hope you like it. Happy reading.

Chicago, Illinois. We park across the street from the apartment building, and Dean gets out to grab something from the back. From the back seat, I look over Sam's shoulder and look at the newspaper in his hand. On the front page there was a story about a stealth killer. Some girl was killed in her apartment, but there was no forced entry. Her doors and windows were locked, and her alarm was still set when she was found. I ruffle his hair a bit as I step out of the car.

"Hey." He complains. I giggle a bit as I shut my door and stand on the sidewalk waiting for the boys to join me. I shift around in my coveralls. It feels so weird to me. But how else are we gonna get inside the place? I guess I could say that I'm related to her. Sam steps out of the Impala as Dean closes the trunk.

"All right, guys. This is the place." Sam says. Dean comes up to us with a toolbox in his hand.

"You know, I gotta say dad and me did just fine without these stupid costumes." Dean says as we begin to walk towards the apartment building. I chuckle to myself. "What's so funny?"

"You know, guys in uniforms are a real turn on." I giggle some more.

"Shut up." He bites back. "I feel like a high school drama dork." He looks over at Sam with a smirk. Of course that was a bit of a jab at Sam. He had been in some high school plays when he was younger. "What was that play you did?" Dean asks. "What was it-"

"Our Town." I say. I remember going to that play. It was pretty good for a high school play. Dean snaps and points to me between them.

"Yeah," He says. "You were good. It was cute."

"Look, you wanna pull this off, or not?" Sam asks.

"I'm just sayin', these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?"

"Yeah? Whose?" I scoff.

"Ours." Dean replies. "You think credit card fraud's easy?" We finally make it across the street and head inside. The landlord lets us into the girl's apartment with little persuasion. We walk into the living space and I can immediately smell the blood. Sure it's old, but there had been a lot of it, and I guess she was dead for a few days before anyone noticed.

"Thanks for lettin' us look around." I say to the lady as Sam and Dean walk farther into the room.

"Well, the police said they were done with the place, so…" She says as she follows the boys. I shut the door and notice the chain had been cut. I follow the rest of them into a room with a white colored carpet. "You three said you're with the alarm company?" The lady asks.

"That's right." Dean answers. I look around the room to see if I can find anything out of the ordinary. You know, besides the blood stains on the floor.

"Well, no offense, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man." I silently laugh to myself as Sam and Dean share a look.

"Well, that's why we're here." Dean says. "To see what went wrong and stop it from happening again." I go around the apartment and test the windows as Sam starts to talk to the landlady.

"Now, ma'am, you found the body?" Sam asks as I get to the first window. The lock is latched. I try to open it anyway, but it doesn't budge.

"Yeah." She answers.

"Right after it happened?"

"No, few days later." She says. "Meredith's work called. She hadn't showed up." I go to the next window and try it, but I get the same result. "I knocked on the door. That's when I noticed the smell." I turn to her.

"Were any of these windows open?" I ask, gesturing to the windows I just tried to open.

"Any sign of a break in?" Dean adds.

"No, windows were locked, front door was bolted. Chain was on the door. We had to cut it just to get in." She replies.

"And the alarm was still on?" Dean asks, pointing to the front door.

"Like I said, bang-up job you company's doin'." She says.

"Mmhmm." I can tell that Dean is thinking through all the information we have. "You see any overturned furniture? Broken glass? Signs of a struggle?" The lady shakes her head before answering.

"Everything was in perfect condition, except Meredith." I look between the boys. Dean was still thinking about what could've possibly happened, and Sam seemed curious about what the landlady had just said.

"And what condition was Meredith in?" Sammy asks her.

"Meredith was all over. In pieces." She gestures to all of the bloodstains on the floor. "The guy who killed her must've been some kind of a whack job." I walk into the room she was found and try to get a closer look at the crime scene. "But I tell you, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said a wild animal did it." That's interesting. That is definitely odd. We all pause before I speak up.

"Ma'am, do you mind if we take some time? Give this place a once-over?" I ask.

"Oh, well, go right ahead." She answers. "Knock yourselves out." She leaves the apartment and we start our investigation. What could've done this to this poor girl? Dean opens the toolbox and takes out an EMF meter wrapped in a red rag.

"So, killer walks in and out of the apartment. No weapons. No prints. Nothin'." Dean says as I think through the same info in my head.

"I'm tellin' ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kinda gig." Sam says crouching down next to Dean as he turns the EMF reader on. I hear it start sounding off right away.

"I think I agree with you." Dean says. Sam pulls out the thermal to look for a trace of anything.

"So, you talked to the cops?" Sam asks. I already know what Dean will say, so I try to block it out. It doesn't work.

"Uh, yeah. I spoke to Amy. A, uh, charming, perky, officer of the law." I groan internally as I look around at the bloodstains on the floor. It seems weird, almost deliberate.

"Oh yeah?" Sam asks. "What'd you find out?"

"Well, she's a Sagittarius." I roll my eyes. "She loves tequila, I mean-" He lets out a breath. I look to him with my arms crossed. He has his back to Sam and I. "Oh, and she's got this little tattoo-"

"Dean!" Sam interrupts him. I feel my features form into a scowl as he turns to us. Is he trying to piss me off? I thought we had a truce of some sort.

"What?" Dean asks seeming to come out of a trance. "Yeah, uh, nothin' we don't already know." I shake my head and look back down at the bloodstains. "Except for one thing they're keepin' out of the papers."

"What's that?" I ask.

"Meredith's heart was missing." Dean answers.

"Her heart?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, her heart." Dean confirms.

"So, what do you think did it to her?"

"Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe it was."

"Werewolf?" Sam asks.

"No, the lunar cycle's not right." I say, still staring at the ground. They pause, so I look up at them. "My dad was a pro at hunting those things. You think I don't keep track of something as simple as the lunar cycle? Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some fort of trace." I say, looking back at the carpet.

"So, it's probably a spirit, then." Sam says.

"Why are you so interested in the carpet?" Dean asks. He looks at the bloodstains again.

"Can you see it?" I ask. It seems like there's something here. He seems a bit more intrigued, so I know he sees it too. I look around for some masking tape. I find some and Dean grabs it from me. He connects the spots. Once he's finished, he steps back. The three of us stand there looking at the symbol taped on the floor.

"Either of you seen that symbol before?" Sam asks. I shake my head to answer him.

"Never." Dean answers out loud.

"Me neither." Sam says. We all share a look before documenting what we found, ripping up the tape, and leaving the apartment. We thank the landlady on the way out. As the details of the case run through our heads we head to a motel and get a room. Dean decided he wanted to go get a drink, so we all head to a nearby bar that we knew Meredith worked at. I mean, we might as well do some research while we unwind, right? Dean heads there before us.

Sam and I head over after. He brings John's journal to try and see if he can find that symbol anywhere. Once we enter, I see Dean at the bar. Sam grabs a nearby table. I look around the bar. It's crowded, more guys than women. But, that's good for me. I see someone familiar in the back corner, though. Our eyes meet and he holds his finger up to his mouth. He doesn't want me saying anything to Sam, sitting across the table from me. Then gestures for me to come over to him. I start walking away and Sam looks up at me.

"Where are you going?" He calls to me. I let out a laugh.

"To the ladies room." I say. "Dean's still talking to the bartender and I really need to go. Can you hold down the fort here?"

"Sure." He says, looking back down at the research in front of him.

"Good." With that I head to the corner of the bar, passing Dean on the way. The man has switched seats, so his back was facing the room. I take the seat he was originally in, and I look up at him with a smile. "What're you doing here, old timer?" I ask. He smirks before answering.

"Same shit, different day, Slugger. How're my boys?" He asks. I glance towards the table Sam is at. Dean has joined him now.

"They want you around, but other than that they're good." I say. "Why are you here, by the way?" If he didn't want his kids around him, why is he here?

"I followed a lead here." He answers. "I guess you guys did too."

"Wait, are you saying this has something to do with what you're chasing?" The atmosphere between us becomes serious.

"Possibly." He answers. I look over at the table again. I heave a sigh. This is not good.

"Do you have a pen?" I ask him. He digs in his pocket and finds a piece of charcoal. I grab a napkin and take the offered charcoal. I draw the symbol on the napkin and slide it across the table. "Have you seen that symbol before?" I ask him. He holds the napkin closer to his face to see it in the dim lighting of the bar.

"It looks familiar, but I can't quite place it." He says. "I'll keep this and if I figure anything out, I'll call you." I nod to him as I stand from my seat.

"I should head back to them." I say.

"Hey." He says, holding a hand out to stop me. "Make sure you watch out for them." He says. "Even Dean." I laugh at that. He knows about why we separated as hunting partners.

"I'm not gonna just let him get hurt because I'm angry with him, John." I feel my eyes start to sting. "I still love him to death." I take a breath before finally walking back to the boys. I walk over to them as I hear them talking about the symbol.

"It wasn't in dad's journal, or in any of the usual books." Sam says. I come up behind Dean and Sam looks up at me.

"Hey, on my way back from the ladies room, I ran into another hunter. He was an old friend of my dad's." I say. "I drew the symbol for him. He said it looked familiar, but couldn't place it." They look at me with curious expressions. "He said if he figured it out, that he would give me a call."

"I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess." Sam says, I walk around the table and sit next to Sam.

"Well, there was a first victim, right?" Dean asks. "Before Meredith?"

"Right, yeah." Sam pulls out a newspaper article. "His name was, uh," He looks at the name of the man on the article before handing it to me. "His name was Ben Swardstrom." I take a quick look before I hand it to Dean. "Last month he was found mutilated in his townhouse. Same deal. The door was locked. The alarm was on.

"Any connection between the two people?" I ask.

"Not that I can tell." Sam replies. "I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker. Meredith was a waitress. They never met. Never knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds.

"So, to recap." Dean says. "The only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartenders phone number." My face drops. I could smack him so hard right now. I glance to where John had been, minutes ago, and he's gone. I look back to Sam and realize he's looking in a similar direction. Dean tries to follow Sam's line of sight, but can't see anything interesting. "What?" He asks. Sammy gets up and starts walking in the direction he was staring.

"Sam?" I ask in concern. I look to Dean before picking up the journal. We head over to see what's going on with Sam. Why would he just walk away from the table without saying anything to us? Dean and I walk up on either side of Sam. Dean on Sam's right, and I'm on his left. We see a petite girl with short blonde hair.

"I came, I saw, I conquered." She said. "Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar."

"Who?" Sam asks.

"Oh, it doesn't matter." The girl waves it off. "Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while." Dean clears his throat, but Sam and the girl ignore him. I smirk at that and Dean shoots me a glare.

"You're from Chicago?" Sam asks.

"No, Massachusetts. Andover." She corrects. "Gosh, Sam, what're the odds we'd run into each other?"

"Yeah, I know, I thought I'd never see you again." Sam says, smiling a bit. Wait; does little Sammy have a thing for this girl?

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong." She says. There's a short pause before Dean clears his throat again, a little louder this time. "Dude, cover your mouth." She says. I snicker to myself. Dean looks like he doesn't know what to say.

"I like her." I say. Sam finally notices that Dean and I are around him, so he introduced us.

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry Meg." Sam starts. "This is, uh, my friend, Shelby," He says, gesturing to me. She sends a smile my way. "And this is my brother, Dean." He says, gesturing to his brother. Meg, I think her name is, looks a bit shocked.

"This is Dean?" She asks. I see Dean smile.

"Yeah." Sam answers.

"So, you've heard of me?" Dean says.

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of you." She says. She doesn't look too pleased. "Nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage." Wait what?

"Sorry?" Dean asks her.

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do?" She asked, in an accusatory tone. "Stop dragging him over God's green Earth." I whistle in awe of what she just said. Something must've happened with them before they met up with me.

"Meg," Sam stops her. "It's all right."

"Okay, awkward." Dean says. "I'm gonna get a drink now." He starts to walk away.

"Yeah, I think I'll join 'im." I say before following Dean to the bar. As I pass by her I get a bad feeling. I don't know if she's really who Sam thinks she is. I stand next to Dean. He already has a beer, and when he sees me he asks the bartender for another bottle for me. "Thanks, but no thanks." I say. The bartender walks away to help another patron. "I only want a sip." I say as I grab his beer. He doesn't protest. Before I take a sip I ask him a question. "You haven't been with anyone diseased, right?"

"Excuse me?" He seems offended.

"I don't wanna take a sip if I'm gonna get a cold sore tomorrow morning." I say. He glares at me before rolling his eyes.

"Not that I know of." He answers, looking back towards Sam and that Meg girl. I take a sip and look at them, too.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this chick." I say. He doesn't say anything. He finishes off the beer as Sam starts walking towards us.

"Come on." Dean says, dragging me through the crowd of people to the exit. I pull my arm from him, but I continue to follow him. Sam catches up to us as we open the door to leave. "Who the hell was she?" Dean asks.

"I don't really know." Sam answers. "I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird."

"And what was she sayin'?" Dean asks. "I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean." Sam says. "It was when we had that huge fight. When I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen-"

"Well, is there any truth to what she's sayin'?" Dean interrupts. "I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

"Dean, calm down." I say.

"No, I wanna know." He insists, looking to Sam.

"Of course not. Now, will you listen?" Sam says.

"What?" Dean says, aggravated.

"I think there's somethin' strange goin' on here, Dean." Sam insists.

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me." I roll my eyes once again. How many times is that? One hundred? One thousand? I've lost count.

"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange." Sam says. "Like maybe even a lead."

"Why do you say that?" I ask.

"I met Meg weeks ago," Sam starts. "Literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar?" That is a bit weird. "I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

"I don't know. Random coincidence. It happens." Dean says.

"Well, yeah, it happens, but not to us." Sam continues to insist. "Look, I could be wrong. I'm just sayin' that there's somethin' about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on."

"Well, I bet you'd like to." Dean smirks. I punch him in the arm.

"Can you not?" I say to him as he grabs at the arm I punched.

"Maybe she's not a suspect." He continues anyway. "Maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" I see Sam roll his eyes. "Maybe you're thinking a little too much with your upstairs brain."

"Can you not try and corrupt him, please?" I ask. Sam turns to me.

"Can you co me a favor?" He asks.

"Sure."

"Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts." He says. "And see if you can't dig up anything else on that symbol on Meredith's floor." I nod my head as Dean speaks up again.

"What're you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna watch Meg." Sam answers.

"Yeah you are." Dean laughs. I slap him on the arm where I punched before.

"I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry."

"All right you little pervert." Dean says. I shoot a glare his way.

"Dude." Sam says

"We're goin'." I say. I grab Dean by the arm and drag him back to the motel. Once we get back in the room we start our digging. I hand Dean the task of looking up the girl, and I look into the symbol. About an hour goes by and I get a call. I answer it without checking the caller ID. "What's up?" I ask, still looking at my laptop screen.

"Hey, Slugger." I hear that familiar voice. "I got a bit of a lead on that symbol."

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

"Yeah," He says. "It's Zoroastrian. That's all I know right now, but I'm sure you could figure it out from there."

"Yeah, thanks." I write down what he says.

"No problem." He says. "Be careful out there, Shel."

"Will do." He hangs up before I do.

"Who was that?" I look up at Dean.

"Just the guy I ran into at the bar." I answer.

"Yeah, your dad's friend." He says. "He have anything on the symbol?"

"Yeah, he says its Zoroastrian." I look at the laptop in front of me and look up the symbol with the new information I have. As I look at the information I get a really bad feeling. "Damn." I say. "We have to tell Sam." I say as I feel Dean leaning over the back of my chair to read what's on the screen.

"I got it." He says. He dials Sam on his phone as I continue to read about the symbol. "Let me guess. You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?" I flash yet another glare in Dean's direction as a long pause occurs. "You've got a funny way of showin' your affection. Hey, I'm gonna put you on speaker." Dean presses a button and I am able to hear Sam.

"So, did you find anything on her, or what?" Sam asks.

"Sorry, man, she checks out." Dean says. "There's a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo." I am about to say something about the symbol when Dean continues. "Now, look, why don't you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?" I smack him on the back of the head. "Ow, hey." He says to me.

"Thanks, Shel." Sam says. "Have you found anything on the symbol?"

"Yeah, my dad's friend called me back." I start. "It turns out, it's Zoroastrian. Old school stuff, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

"What's a Daeva?" Sam asks.

"It translates to 'demon of darkness'." I read straight from my laptop screen.

"Zoroastrian demons." Dean says. "And they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes. Kinda like, uh, demonic pit bulls." He sits in his chair and I follow him, sitting on the armrest so I can hear and talk to Sam.

"The thing is, these Daevas have to be summoned, or conjured." I say.

"So, someone's controlling it." Sam states.

"Yeah, and it's pretty risky." I say. "These things tend to bite the hand that feeds them."

"So, what do they look like?" Sam asks.

"Nobody's seen 'em for a couple millennia." I say

"Summoning a demon that ancient?" Dean pipes up. "Someone really knows their stuff. I think we got a major player in town." A smirk forms on Dean's face and I give him a warning look. "Now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?"

"Bite me." Sam says.

"No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though. Just enough to where-" Sam hangs up on him and I smack him on the back of his head again. "One of these times you're gonna give me a concussion." He says pointing at me.

"Maybe that would be a good thing." I say as I shut my laptop and clean up the papers on the table. He stands up and moves towards me. He grabs my hips as he comes up behind me.

"Sam'll be out all night." He whispers in my ear. "Why don't we have a little fun?" I'm shocked. I turn around to glare at him when he captures my lips with his. I try to resist him, but I can't. I missed this. I missed him. Our tongues fight for dominance as he brings his hand to the back of my head. A moan escapes my mouth, and I finally feel like I have the strength to push him away. Both of us try to catch our breath.

"How dare you." I say between breaths.

"Shel-"

"No!" I interrupt him. "After this case is over," I say still trying to catch my breath. "I'm leaving to travel by myself again." He closes his eyes and looks to the floor. I feel my eyes start to sting again. "I'm gonna take a shower." I say as I walk to the bathroom.

"Shel, please, I'm sorry."

"Don't talk to me." I say. "I'm done with this shit." I head into the bathroom, turn on the water, and strip off my clothing. Once the water gets warm enough I step in. Only then do I allow myself to cry. How could he do that? My tears blend with the water spraying my face. As sobs rack my body I crouch down in the tub. I don't wanna leave, but I have to for my sanity. Once I am finally done crying I turn off the water, grab a towel to dry myself off and put my clothes back on. I step out into the main room and head straight to one of the beds. I lay down and try to ignore the other presence in the room. Soon I drift off to sleep. Sam bursting through the door to the room startles me awake. I sit up and watch as Sam and Dean come face to face.

"Dude, I gotta talk to you." They both said at the same time. I giggle at that, and they both turn to me. Dean has a guilty expression on his face. Sam looks between both of us.

"What's goin' on?" He asks.

"It's nothing, Sam." I say as I stand from the bed. "What do you got?" I ask, wanting him to tell us what he found out last night. He explained that he followed Meg to some warehouse where she had an alter set up. The Zoroastrian symbol was drawn on the alter in blood. That's not good.

"So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean asks.

"Looks like she was using that black alter to control the thing." Sam states.

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl." Dean says.

"What's the deal with the bowl again?" I ask Sam.

"She was talking into it. The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails." He keeps looking between Dean and I. "She was communicating with someone."

"With who?" Dean asks. "With the Daeva?"

"No, you said those things were savages." Sam answers. "No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse." We all think about this new information for a second before Dean sits at the table and sifts through the papers.

"Holy crap." He says.

"What?" Sam and I say in sync.

"What I was gonna tell you earlier. I pulled a favor with my," Dean stops to clear his throat before continuing. "Friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims. We missed somethin' the first time."

"What'd we miss?" I ask and Sam and I go over and take a look at the papers in Dean's hands.

"The first victim, the old man, he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here." He sets the paper down and points to the place of birth. "Look where he was born."

"Lawrence, Kansas." Sam reads. This is getting creepy, real fast.

"Mmhmm." Dean says. He sets down the page about the other victim. "Meredith, second victim, turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from.

"Again, Lawrence, Kansas." I say. Sam sits in the closest chair.

"Holy crap." Sam says.

"Yeah." Dean agrees, looking at Sam.

"I mean, it is where the demon killed mom." Sam starts. "That's where everything started."

"So you think this Meg girl is tied up with the demon?" I ask.

"I think it's a definite possibility." Dean answers.

"But I don't understand." Sam says. "What's the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?"

"Beats me, but I say we trash the black alter, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation."

"No, we can't." Sam says.

"Why?" I ask. I'm a bit excited about the demon possibly being here. I'm in the same boat as Sam. I was born the same year as Dean, but on my sixth month of life my mother was killed in a fire. It's something I remember so vividly. It's my first memory. She was engulfed in flames attached to the ceiling. My dad had been a hunter even before I was born, but this almost sent him off the edge. He left me with a family friend, I called him Uncle Bobby. I didn't see my dad again until I was about five.

My dad taught me how to hunt, and he brought me on my first one when I was sixteen. We met up with one of his friends and that man's son. If you can't guess, that was John and Dean. Our fathers had bonded over the deaths of their wives. They were exactly the same, only they were four years apart. I met Sam once my first hunt was done. We connected right away. Dean, Sam, and I were so close back then.

"We shouldn't tip her off." Sam says. "We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her."

"I'll tell you one thing," Dean says. "I don't think w should do this alone." I look to Dean, knowing exactly what he's planning to do. I think about all of this information that lines up just right. It's too good. I take a breath. I take out my phone and text John.

 _'Whatever Dean says on the message he's gonna leave you, don't come. It doesn't feel right to me. –Slugger'_ I hit send. Sam and Dean are getting ready to go in tonight, so I do the same. Sam leaves to grab some things from the trunk of the Impala to help us. I see Dean sit on one of the beds and call someone, most likely his father. By the time Dean is done with the call Sam walks back in the room. I grab the bag in his hands so he can take off the one on his shoulder.

"Voicemail?" Sam asks.

"Yeah." Dean answers as he stands from the bed. Sam and I set the bags on the bed Dean just vacated. "Jesus, what'd you get?"

"I ransacked that trunk." Sam answers with a laugh. "Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions." Dean goes through the bag as Sam spouts off what he carried up here. "I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything." Dean and I nod in agreement. We each take a gun and load it with special bullets. Dean grabs a sawed off shotgun, Sam grabs a pistol, I grab my own revolver.

"Big night." Dean states.

"Yeah." Sam agrees.

"Either of you nervous?" I ask them.

"No." Dean answers right away. Sam shakes his head. "Why? Are you?" He glances at me.

"No way." I answer. We check the other weapons in silence for a while before Sam speaks up.

"God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?" Dean says.

"I know, I'm just sayin', what if we did?" Sam asks. "What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month."

"I'd sleep for a year." I smile.

"It's not a competition." Sam says to me. "I'd also go back to school, just be a person again." My expression falls at that comment. John and Dean didn't like that Sam left for school.

"You wanna go back to school?" He asks Sam.

"Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing." Sam confirms.

"Huh." Dean says. It's one of those 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything' moments. But I know Sam won't let it slide.

"Why? Is there somethin' wrong with that?" He asks.

"No, no, it's, uh, great. Good for you." Dean says, loading another gun.

"I mean, what're you gonna do when it's all over?" Sam asks. Dean glances at me before answering.

"It's never gonna be over. There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt."

"Yeah, Sammy, with what we know is out there, how can we just sit around and live 'normal lives'?" I ask, putting air quotes around the last two words with my fingers.

"But, there's gotta be somethin' that you want for yourself."

"Yeah, I don't want you two to leave the second this thing's over, Sam." Dean says, agitated. Sam looks to me, and I look away.

"Are you leaving?" Sam asks me.

"Yeah, whatever this case is, after it's done, I'm out." I admit. Dean walks over to a nearby dresser.

"Dude." Sam says to get his brother's attention. "What's your problem?" Dean leans on the dresser for a moment.

"Why do you think I drag ya everywhere? Huh?" Dean asks. I feel the sting in my eyes again. "I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"'Cause dad was in trouble." Sam answers. "'Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed mom."

"Yes, that, but it's more than that, man." Dean raises his voice. He pauses for a moment before he turns back to Sam. "You and me and dad. I want us to…I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again." I sit down on the bed and look at my hands, resting on my lap.

"Dean," Sam starts. "We are a family." Sam says slowly. "I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before." I hate to agree, but it's true. I don't want to look at Dean. I know he's gonna have the look of a man with a broken heart.

"Could be." I can hear the sadness in his voice. I watch as a tear drops onto my hand. I wipe it away quickly so neither of the boys see it.

"I don't want them to be." Sam says. "I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way." We are all quiet as we finish getting ready. The silence continues as we get to the warehouse. Dean and I follow Sam's lead. We climb up the elevator shaft. Yay! Heights! Can you sense my sarcasm? We make it to the top floor, and stop as we see Meg speaking some sort of enchantment at the alter in the room.

Sam climbs up silently, and turns to me. He grabs my hand, and helps me up. Then, both of us help Dean. Once all of us are on firm ground, we keep to the shadows. Sam keeps a gun aimed at Meg as we work our way to a better vantage point. We hide behind some boxes in the back corner. Dean hands Sam the sawed off shotgun as Sam hands the pistol to Dean. I keep my revolver aimed at the back of the woman's head.

"Guys." She says, suddenly. We all keep quiet. "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't you think?"

"Well, that didn't work out like I'd planned." Dean says. She turns around to face us.

"Why don't you come out?" Meg asks. We stand from our hiding spots, weapons still aimed at her. The three of us walk towards her as she walks towards us. "Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sam replies.

"So," Dean says, getting Meg's attention. "Where's your little Daeva friend?"

"Around." She answers. "You know, that shotgun's not gonna do much good."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart." Dean says. Oh how I miss him calling me that. I shake my head. I have to focus. This is serious shit. "The shotgun's not for the demon."

"So, who is it Meg?" Sam asks her. "Who's coming? Who're you waiting for?"

"You." She answers simply. I knew it. This is a trap. Suddenly something throws me into the wall behind me. I feel something claw at my shoulder before I pass out. I wake up, and realize I'm tied to a support posts. I look to my right and see Sam and Dean in similar situations.

"Hey, sweetheart, you okay?" Dean says.

"Are you talking to me?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"I'm fine."

"Can you two shut up?" The voice of Meg sounds.

"You shut up." I say. Soon Sam wakes up. Dean is the first to notice.

"Hey, Sam?" He starts. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend…is a bitch."

"Agreed." I add.

"This, this whole thing, was a trap." Sam says. "Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin' what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it?" The bitch laughs. "And that the victims were from Lawrence?"

"It doesn't mean anything." She says, smiling at him. "It was just to draw you in, that's all."

"You killed those two people for nothin'." Sam says.

"Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less." She admits. I don't think this is a normal person. It just doesn't feel right.

"You trapped us. Good for you." Dean says. "It's Miller time. But, why don't you kill us already?"

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg says to him. The she turns her attention to me. "Honestly, I don't know what you ever saw in him. You are way outta his league." I laugh and shake my head at that. She looks back at Dean. "This trap isn't for you."

"Dad," Sam says. "It's a trap for dad." I can tell he's getting a bit emotional.

"Oh, sweetheart," Dean says with a smirk. "You're dumber than you look. 'Cause even if dad was in town, which he is not," I look away, knowing that he is in town. "He wouldn't walk into somethin' like this. He's too good."

"He is pretty good. I'll give you that." She stands up from her seat and walks over to Dean. "But you see," She crouches down to look at him at eye level. "He has one weakness." She says as she plays with Dean's jacket.

"What's that?" He asks her.

"You," She answers. "He lets his guard down around his boys. Let's his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town." She looks over at me. "Isn't that right, Slugger?" The boys look at me. They know that's their dad's nickname for me.

"Your dad's friend." Sam says. "He was at the bar."

"Why didn't you say anything, Shel?" Dean said.

"He made me promise not to tell you guys about him being around." I say. "But he's not comin' here." I say. The bitch stands up and walks over to me.

"And why is that?" She says, standing over me.

"Before Dean called him and left a message, I sent him a text. I told him it didn't feel right to me." I say with a smile. "I told him, no matter what, not to come." She looks a bit angry.

"There's still a possibility he'll come for you three." She says. "And when he comes to try and save you, the Daevas will kill everybody." She smirks at me. "Nice and slow and messy."

"Well, I've got news for ya, it's gonna take a lot more than some…shadow to kill 'im." Dean says. Meg goes back over to him and crouches again.

"Oh, the Daevas are in the room here, they're invisible." She says. "They're shadows are just the only part you can see."

"Why you doin' this Meg?" Sam asks. "What kinda deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?"

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do." She says looking to Sammy. "Loyalty." Then her eyes meet mine. "Love." Then she looks back to Sammy. "Like the love you had for mommy, and Jess."

"Go to hell." Sam says.

"Baby, I'm already there." She smiles. She crawls away from Dean and over to Sam. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty." She leans by his ear, and whispers something I can't hear. Then she straddles his legs. "I saw you, watching me, changing in my apartment. It turned you on, didn't it?" Oh God.

"Get a room, you two." Dean says.

"Wow, I never thought Dean Winchester would ever say those words to someone." I laugh as I take the small blade that I always have hidden up my sleeve.

"I didn't mind." She says to Sam, ignoring Dean's comment. "I liked that you were watching me." Gag me. "Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun." I think I really am gonna throw up.

"You wanna have fun?" Sam asks. "Go ahead, then. I'm a little tied up right now." I continue to hear kissing noises as I try to cut the rope holding me. My blade is pretty sharp, so I can barely hear it cut through the fibers. When the kissing sounds stop I look over. Meg is looking at Dean. She stands up and heads for Dean. She walks around behind the post he's tied up to. She crouches down and takes a small blade from his hand and tosses it away. I hide mine back in my sleeve. She swings around the post to look Dean in the face. He chuckles a bit before she goes back over to Sam.

"Now were you just tryin' to distract me while your brother cuts free?" She asks Sam. I slowly bring my blade back out and continue cutting the rope holding me.

"No. No. That's because I have a knife of my own." Sam breaks the rope around his wrists, grabs Meg's shoulders and head butts her. I finish cutting loose and stand up.

"I got the alter." I say. I walk up to the table and flip it over. I turn back to the brothers and Dean is now free. I then watch the shadows of the Daevas dance on the walls. They grab Meg and drag her out the window. The three of us gather at the window, and look to the ground below. Meg lay there, motionless.

"So, I guess the Daevas didn't like being bossed around." Sam says.

"I guess not." I say.

"Hey, Sam?" Dean asks.

"Hm?" Sam sounds.

"Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that's not so buckets-o'-crazy, huh?" Sam nods his head. We gather up our weapons and leave the warehouse. It's silent on the way back to the motel. We get out and walk up to the room. Sam had grabbed the bag to bring it up. "Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Dean asks Sam.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. Better safe than sorry." Sam says as Dean unlocks the door to the room. We walk inside, and Dean calls out.

"Hey!" I look where he's yelling. The silhouette of a large man is standing by the window. That silhouette turns around as Sam turns the lights on. The man's face hits the light, and I realize that it's John. "Dad?"

"Hey boys." He says with a smile. Dean looks to Sam before looking to me. I nod to him, to say that it's real. John's really here. I feel myself begin to tear up. Dean and John walk towards each other, and they meet in a hug. I turn to Sam and take the bag on his shoulder before lightly push him towards the two embracing in the middle of the room. Dean and John let go of each other as Sam meets them there. "Hi, Sam." John says.

"Hey dad." Sam says softly.

"Dad, it was a trap." Dean says. "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I had a bit of a heads up." He says looking to me, still standing by the door. "What're you doin' over there Slugger? Get over here." He holds his arms open and I walk into them, dropping the bag on the ground. Once he lets go of me Dean decides to speak up.

"Were you there?" The older brother asks.

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive." John answers. "She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir." The three of us answer.

"Good." John says. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."

"The demon has?" Sam asks.

"It knows I'm close." He replies. "It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell. Actually kill it."

"How?" Dean asks. John smiles.

"I'm workin' on that."

"Let us come with you." Sam says. "We'll help."

"No, Sam." John says. "Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us." Sam insists.

"Of course I do. I'm your father." John pauses. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir."

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Too long." Sam says. Sammy and John hug each other, and I watch in amazement. Who would've thought they would make up that easily. Of course, it's probably not completely fixed, but it's a start. As they let go of each other something knocks John into the cabinets. Sammy is the second one to be knocked around, then it was Dean. I look around, trying to see where it would be coming from. Out of the corner of my eye I see something coming at my face. I am knocked to the ground, next to Sam. "Shut your eyes!" Sam yells as he reaches for the bag of weapons. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" He grabs a flare and lights it. Suddenly the room is filled with smoke and a white light.

I hear the demons leaving. Sam grabs the bag and I grab onto his shirt. He feels around for the exit blindly. All of us make it out of the room, coughing, and slightly blinded by the bright light from the flare. We finally make it to our vehicles

"All right, come on. We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back." Sam says as he puts the bag in the back seat of the Impala. I lean against the car, trying to get my bearings.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Dean yells. "Sam, wait." He looks at John, and I can tell he's going to say something he really doesn't want to. "Dad, you can't come with us."

"What? What are you talkin' about?" Sam is confused.

"You three," John says. "You're beat to hell."

"We'll be alright." Dean says.

"Dean, we should stick together." Sam insists. "We'll go after those demons-"

"Sam! Listen to me!" Dean raises his voice to stop Sam. "We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He-he's stronger without us around." Sam looks to his dad.

"Dad, no!" Sam puts his hand on his father's shoulder. "After everything, after all the time we spent lookin' for you, please. I gotta be a part of this fight." I look to Dean, and I almost start sobbing. I look up to the sky, hoping the tears will just soak back into my eyes. It doesn't work. They just fall down the side of my face instead.

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son." John says. "Okay, you've gotta let me go." I watch as Sam finally accepts that this needs to happen. John then looks to me. "I need you to stay with them, Shel." I look to the ground, and more tears escape my eyes. "I know you wanna be on your own right now, but they need you." He says, referring to the boys. I look up to him and nod.

"Yes, sir." I say trying not to have my voice crack. With that he walks away from us, and towards his truck. The three of us watch him open the driver's side door and turn back to us.

"Be careful you three." He says before getting in his truck and driving away.

"Come on." Dean says as he starts getting in the car. I head to the other side of the car and get in the back seat. Sam grabs shotgun. Once we see the truck turn a corner, Dean starts up the Impala and we back out of the alley.

A/N: I'm really sorry this was so long. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a review. I love reading them.


	4. Between Cases 2

A/N: Here's another Between Cases. I hope you enjoy.

Why do I feel like I have to be so obedient to John? I was gonna leave. I was gonna try and get as far away from the Winchesters as I could. But instead, I'm still sitting in the back seat of the Impala, looking out the window at the scenery rushing by. The brothers up front are quiet. To be honest, I don't blame them. They were looking for their dad, and once they find him they have to split up again. It's not fair. We slow down and pull into a parking lot. I look up to see a motel. Dean parks and looks at Sam, then me.

"Looks like you're gonna have to book the room, short stuff." Dean says to me. "Sam and I have scratches on our faces." I nod and search around to find a jacket to cover the injury on my shoulder. I also take out my fake ID that matches the credit card I lifted off some lady ages ago. Whoever it is, doesn't seem to mind that I use it once in a while. I pull on my spare jacket and get out of the car.

I walk into the office, and I am able to successfully book a room with two queen sized beds. She gives me two keys and I walk back out to the Impala. The boys get out with some essentials and they follow me to the room. I unlock the door and walk in. As I turn on the light the brothers walk farther into the room and set the bags on one of the beds. I close the door and join them.

"Do we have first aid stuff?" I ask them.

"Uh, Here's some gauze." Sam says, holding it out to me.

"Rubbing alcohol?" I ask.

"Here." Dean tosses a bottle to me. They go back to looking through the bags as I head to the bathroom to get a better look at my shoulder. I take off my jacket to look at my reflection. I can't help but wince. I grab a small facecloth from the towel rack and wet it in the sink before carefully trying to clean the wound. It hurts like a bitch. I am not looking forward to the alcohol. Once my wound is clean, I grab a second facecloth. I pour some of the rubbing alcohol on it and take a breath before lightly dabbing it in my wound. I hold in a scream as it burns.

"Bitch." I say as quietly as possible. Once that's done I wrap the gauze around my arm and shoulder. I lean on the sink and take a few breaths before going out into the main room. They're sitting at the small table with papers already spread out in a mess. "Alright, who's next?" I ask, getting their attention.

"He is." They both say, pointing at each other. It makes me smile as I grab the ice bucket.

"I'm gonna fill this with water real quick. When I get back out here, one of you needs to be sitting on that bed." I say, pointing to the bed with nothing on it. "Or I'll be deciding who goes first." I head into the bathroom with the ice bucket and fill it with warm water. I clean off the cloth I used as much as I could with cold water to get my blood out. I walk back into the room and see Sam sitting on the free bed.

I set the ice bucket and cloth down before going back and grabbing the rubbing alcohol, and gauze. I also grab the other facecloth after cleaning it, too. I head over to the table and grab the chair Sam had been sitting in before. I drag it over to where Sam is and set up everything on the chair. The cleaning cloth and alcohol cloth separated, so I don't mix them up.

"Ready?" I ask him.

"As I'll ever be." He answers. I grab the cleaning cloth and wring it out in the ice bucket before starting to clean the blood from the younger Winchester's face. He winces a little.

"So, how did you guys decide?" I ask him.

"Rock, paper, scissors." He answers with a slight laugh, starting to pull away from my hand. I grab his chin to hold him in place as I clean the wound on his cheek. Once I'm done with cleaning up the blood I put the cloth back in the now bloody water in the ice bucket. Then I grab the other cloth and the alcohol.

"Prepare yourself, Sammy. This shit stings." I say, smiling at him. He takes a breath and nods before I begin to use the alcohol covered cloth to clean the wound of bacteria. Once I'm done I try to figure out how to bandage his cheek. "Do we have any medical tape?" I ask to both of them. I hear Dean move towards the bed with the bags to check. He finds a roll and tosses it at me. I catch it and start to secure the gauze over Sam's cheek. Once he's done, I head back into the bathroom to clean the cloths and get fresh water for cleaning Dean's wound. "Alright Dean, you're up." I say before I exit the bathroom.

"Ready when you are." He says as I hear the door to the room open and close. I walk back into the room and see that Sam has left.

"Where'd he go?" I ask as I set up everything on the same chair. Dean is now sitting where Sam was before.

"He went to get us food." The older Winchester answers. I begin to clean the blood from his face, and I can't help but feel the tension between us. "I know this is hard for you, Shel."

"What?" I ask.

"You wanted to leave." He clarifies.

"Well, John wants me to stay, so I'll stay." I feel the stinging of tears in my eyes, but I fight them back.

"This isn't gonna work if we don't talk about what happened with us." He says.

"And as I said before, I'm ready when you are." I say as I move to the rubbing alcohol step of cleaning the wound. He winces as I bring the alcohol soaked cloth to the wound on his forehead.

"Well, we're alone now, so maybe we can talk now." He says through his teeth. He's not mad; he's just clenching his jaw from the stinging of the alcohol. I stay quiet as I begin to bandage the wound with the gauze and medical tape. His eyes are glued on me as I finish and begin to clean up. "So?" He asks, trying to get me to talk.

"What?" I say, not turning to him.

"I thought we were gonna talk." He says.

"And you think I should be the first one to say something?" I laugh as I dump out the bloody water in the bathroom sink. He lets out a frustrated sigh before speaking again.

"Shel, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me. Back then I was immature. I was a stupid kid." He says.

"Yeah, well, it seems like you're still that immature kid." I throw back at him. "I know that just from the little bit of time I've been traveling with you two."

"What?" He asks, seeming not to know what I'm talking about.

"Well, a couple recent examples are the 'charming, perky, officer of the law'. I think her name was Amy." I say putting air quotes around the words he had used to describe a woman. "And some bimbo bartender."

"I was getting information on the case." He tries to defend.

"Right." I say. "And if I'm remembering correctly, you got nothing but the bartender's phone number. And you're lucky the cop fell for you enough to give us those files." He takes in a breath and looks to the ground. "And then, it seemed like you were just throwing it in my face." I say, trying to keep my voice from cracking, as I stare him down. "You were just spouting about how the cop was a Sagittarius who loves tequila. I wanted to knock you out right then and there." I pause as he slowly lifts his head to look at me. "And then, the stunt you pulled in the motel room when we were alone. You're all over the map, and I can't have that in my life."

"There's nothing I can say."

"No, there isn't." Suddenly I feel something going down my cheek. Dean notices and walks up to me. He caresses my cheek and wipes away the tear as he rests his forehead gently on mine.

"I'm so sorry." He says in a low whisper.

"You should be." I say as my voice finally breaks. He pulls back to place a soft kiss on my forehead, and he pulls me into the best hug I have ever had. I breathe in his scent as he places a hand on the back of my head. I forgot how good it felt to be wrapped in his arms. We stay that way for, I don't know how long. We hear the key in the lock of the door and reluctantly pull apart. I bring the chair, I had been using as a sort of table before, back to the small table on the other side of the room as Sam walks in with a pizza box. He looks between Dean and I, sensing that something happened while he was gone.

"Everything okay in here?" He asks us.

"Yeah, Sammy." I say. "Everything's fine."

"We were just talkin' about some stuff." Dean adds.

"And there's more we need to talk about, but that can wait for another time." Dean looks at me with a confused expression.

"Yeah?" He asks me.

"Yeah." I confirm. An awkward silence fills the room.

"Well, I got food." Sam breaks the silence as he holds out the pizza box to Dean. "So dig in." I didn't realize how hungry I was until that moment. We wolf down the whole pizza, and I let the boys have the last two slices. The rest of the night, Dean steals questioning glances at me. There is something else that happened that he doesn't even know about. I just can't bring myself to tell him yet.

A/N: Ooo. What could it be? Can you guess? I would love to know what you guys think. I already have a plan for what the secret is, and I have a plan for why the incidents with Shelby and Sam as babies were four years apart. Will she develop psychic abilities? We'll just have to wait and see.


	5. Hell House

A/N: Here's another chapter.

It's been a few weeks since we split off from John. All of our wounds have healed up nicely, no gnarly scars in sight. I lay down in the oddly comfortable back seat as we drive down interstate 35. Sure, it's not safe if we get in an accident, but what are the odds of that? I hear Sammy's soft snores and look up at him sleeping. He looks so peaceful. I get the urge to mess with him, but Dean beats me to the punch. I see him grab a plastic spoon and put it in Sam's slightly omen mouth. I try really hard not to laugh.

Dean sees me in the rearview mirror and holds up a finger in front of his mouth. Then he hands me his phone and mimes that he wants me to take a picture. I open his flip phone and snap a picture. The kid doesn't wake up from the noise. I hand the phone back to him and he decides to blast the music to wake up little Sammy. Sam is startled awake and swats the spoon from his mouth. I start laughing and Dean starts hitting the steering wheel to mimic the drums in the music blasting through the speakers.

"Ha, ha." Sam says as he turns down the music. He is not amused. "Very funny."

"I thought so." I chuckle in the back.

"Heh, heh, heh. Sorry," Dean laughs. "Not a lot of scenery here in East Texas. Kinda gotta make your own."

"Man, we're not kids anymore Dean." Sam sounds so serious. "We're not gonna start that crap up again."

"Start what up?" Dean asks.

"That prank stuff." Sam clarifies. "It's stupid, and it always escalates."

"Aww." I say. "Is poor little Sammy scared of getting a bit of blue dye in his body wash?" I laugh. That brings back memories. That was probably the best prank I ever did.

"Ooo. That was a good one." Dean smiles. "The best part was that I put Nair in his shampoo that same day." We both laugh again.

"Alright." Sam says. "Just remember, you guys started it." He warns us.

"Oh ho, bring it on baldy Smurf." Dean jokes.

"Where are we anyway?" Sam asks.

"A few hours outside of Richardson." Dean informs us. "Gimme the lowdown again?" Sam grabs the paper on the dashboard and starts reading it.

"Alright, about a month or two ago this group of kids goes pokin' around in this local haunted house." Sam says.

"Haunted by what?" I ask.

"Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit." Sam answers. "Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters."

"Yikes." I add as I look at the paper over his shoulder.

"Anyway this group of kids see this dead girl hanging in the cellar."

"Anybody ID the corpse?" Dean asks.

"Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there the body was gone. So cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains." Sam informs.

"Maybe the cops are right?" Dean says.

"Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids firsthand accounts. They seemed pretty sincere."

"And where exactly did you read these accounts, little Sammy?" I ask leaning over the back of the front seat. He scoffs and looks out the side window before answering.

"Well, I knew we were going to be passing through Texas. So, um, last night, I surfed some local…paranormal websites. And I found one." I roll my eyes and smile at his answer.

"And what's it called?" Dean asks. Sam looks away, seeming to get embarrassed.

" " I burst out laughing.

"That's such a cheesy name." I say as I continue to laugh.

"Stop it, Shel." Sam says to me.

"Lemme guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement." Dean says with a huge smile.

"Yeah, probably." Sam smiles.

"Yeah. Most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the persqueeter." Dean says. There's a slight pause before Sam starts speaking again.

"Look. We let Dad take off. Which was a mistake, by the way. And now we don't know where the hell he is, so meantime we gotta find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checking this thing out." He says. The mood is a bit less light after Sam brings up John.

"Alright, so where do we find these kids?" Dean asks.

"Same place you always find kids in a town like this." Sam answers.

"Yeah, some food place." I say. "But we should get a room first. Kids don't gather until after dark." I wink at Dean in the rearview mirror.

"Right you are little missy." Dean says, smirking at me. Once in town, we get a hotel room and wait until nightfall. After sun down we head to a local fast food hangout, Rodeo Drive. We park out front and head inside.

As we start to ask questions about the house, we get differing stories about what actually happened. Walls are black, or red, or painted with blood. The girl hanging from the rafters had black, or blonde, or red hair. The girl was hanging limp, or kicking. Wow. It was all over the map. We ask them where they heard about the house from and they point us in the direction of some kid named Craig. We head to the record shop where he's said to work. I can't believe it's still open so late. We walk in, and a kid putting records away greets us.

"Gentlemen. Can I help you with anything?" He says.

"Excuse me?" I say. He looks at me and starts to stutter as he tries to apologize. I start to smile. "I'm just yankin' your chain kid." I say as I wink at him. Dean wraps an arm around my shoulders as Sam speaks.

"So, are you Craig Thurston?"

"I am." He answers.

"Well we're reporters with the _Dallas Morning News._ I'm Dean, this is Sam, and this lovely lady is my girl Shelby." Dean tells the kid as he pulls me tighter.

"No way. Well I'm writer too." The kid's face almost lights up as he continues to put away the records in his hand. "I write for my school's lit magazine."

"Well, good for you Morrissey." Dean comments as he starts to look through the records next to us. I join him. We've always had a similar taste in music. That helps when you're stuck in a car with someone for a long period of time. If you don't have similar tastes, your ride is gonna seem so much longer.

"Umm. We're doing an article on local hauntings and rumor has it you might know of one." Sam says.

"You mean the Hell House?" Craig doesn't look so excited anymore.

"That's the one." I say, looking up from the records.

"I didn't think there was anything to the story." Craig says, shaking his head.

"Why don't you tell us the story." Sam prompts the kid. He puts the last record in it's place, looks around, and heaves a big sigh before telling us the story.

"Well, supposedly back in the '30s, this farmer, Mordachai Murdoch, used to live in this house with his six daughters." He says as he walks back to the checkout counter. Dean and I continue to look through the records as Sam follows him. "It was during the Depression, his crops were failing, he didn't have enough money to feed his own children. So I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Sam asks. Dean and I finally join them.

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick, rather than starve to death." Craig says, shifting his eyes to each of us. "So he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop but he just strung 'em up, one after the other. And when he was all finished he just turned around and hung himself." For some reason I don't believe this kid's story. "Now they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringing up any other girl that goes inside."

"I guess I should stay away then." I say sarcastically.

"Where'd you hear all this?" Dean asks.

"My cousin Dana told me." He says after a slight pause. "I don't know where she heard it from. Ya gotta realize, I-I didn't believe this for a second."

"But now you do." Sam points out.

"I don't know what the hell to think, man." The kid replies quietly. "You guys, I-I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, ok? That girl was real. And she was dead. This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't wanna go anywhere near that house ever again, ok?" He seems freaked out, but I don't know.

"Thanks." Dean says and we head out, back to the hotel. We do a bit of research before getting a bit of sleep. I'm on one bed, and the boys sleep back to back on the other bed. In the morning we head to the hell house. We slush through the muddy path to the creepy looking house and I'm glad I wore my waterproofed combat boots.

"Can't say I blame the kid." Sam says as the house comes into view.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal" Dean adds.

"I'm a bit surprised it hasn't crumbled from age yet." I say. We start to look around the outside of the house, looking through the windows, looking for anything that would tip us off to something that we can deal with. I look over to Dean and see that he has an EMF device. Sam and I walk over as it starts making sounds.

"You got something?" I ask as he taps the glass.

"Yeah." Dean stretches out the word a bit. "The EMF's no good."

"Why?" Sam asks.

"I think that thing's still got a little juice in it." He gestures to the power lines overhead. "It's screwing with all the readings."

"Yeah, that'd do it." Sam says

"Yeah, come on, let's go." Dean says as he heads to the front door. We head inside the creepy house and start to look around. Dean lets out a low whistle as we start walking around. I see Sam take out his phone as we walk into the first room to our right. The walls look like they're in the process of crumbling. "Looks like old man Murdock was a bit of a tagger here in his time." I look at the spray-painted symbols on the wall.

"And after his time too. That reverse cross has been used by Satanists for centuries but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the '60s." Sam spouts as I smile.

"That is exactly why you never get laid." Dean says as Sam takes a picture of the symbol. I lightly punch Dean in the shoulder.

"Stop it." I say, almost laughing. Dean moves to look at another wall as I just stand in the middle of the room trying to take everything in.

"Hey what about this one, you seen this one before?" Dean asks. I walk up to his right and scrunch up my face.

"It looks familiar, but-" I look at Sam as he walks up to the other side of Dean. "What about you, bookworm? You seen it before?"

"No." He answers simply.

"I have." Dean says. "Somewhere." Sam goes up and touches it.

"It's paint. Seems pretty fresh too." He says.

"I don't know Sam." Dean says as he turns around to look at the rest of the room. "I mean, I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but…the cops may be right about this one."

"Yeah, maybe." Sam says as he goes to take another picture. Suddenly, a noise is heard by all of us in another room. We look to where the noise came from and see a closed door. Quietly we walk over. Dean goes to the right of the door and Sam and I go to the left. Dean gestures that we should go in, and he opens the door. The three of us rush in only to have flashlights pointed in our eyes. We stop, covering our eyes to prevent blindness.

"Oh, cut!" Someone in front of us says. "It's just a few humans." I look at the two guys in front of us, now that their lights are off.

"What're you three doing here?" The other guy asks us.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean asks.

"Ah-ha. We belong here, we're professionals." The first guy says.

"Professional what?" I ask.

"Paranormal investigators." That first guy says with a smirk to me. He reaches into a pocket of his shirt and pulls out three business cards, holding them out to us. "There you go, take a look at that." I reluctantly take one and look at the cheaply made info card.

"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me." Dean says. I look up at them and the guy who handed us the cards winks at me. I cringe as Sam reads the names on the card.

"Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spengler. . You guys run that website." The second guy, I think it's Harry, points to the person each name belongs to.

"Yeah." Ed confirms.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. We're huge fans." Dean says sarcastically as he walks past them to look at something.

"And ahh, we know who you guys are too." Ed says.

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

"Amateurs." Ed clarifies. I roll my eyes as Dean opens a cabinet. "Looking for ghosts and cheap thrills."

"Yeah. So if you guys don't mind, we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here." I almost burst out laughing at Harry's words. I cross my arms over my chest and pop my hip out. Talk about amateurs.

"Yeah, what have you got so far?" Dean asks, continuing to look through the objects on and around the cabinet.

"Harry, why doncha tell 'em about EMF?" Ed prompts his friend?

"Well-"

"EMF?" Sam asks, acting dumb.

"Electromagnetic field?" Ed says, acting like a big man. "Spectral entities can cause energy fluctuations that can be read with an EMF detector." He grabs his little EMF device and turns it on. "Like this bad boy right here." It starts making noises like our own EMF detector did. The three of us look at each other and try not to laugh as the two guys in front of us start freaking out about the thing going off.

"Wow." Sam says.

"You know I heard that power lines can give off those electromagnetic frequencies and mess with EMF detectors." I say. They look at me in surprise.

"Yeah, but those power lines over head are so old. They're not really in use anymore." Harry tries to cover his tracks with some bullshit excuse to seem smarter than me. What and idiot.

"Huh. So you guys ever really seen a ghost before, or..." Dean asks.

"Once." Ed answers dramatically as he looks over his shoulder at Dean. "We were, uh...we were investigating this old house and we saw a vase fall right off the table."

"By itself." Harry adds.

"Well, we, we we we didn't actually see it, we heard it. And something like that...it uh...it changes you." Ed says. I have to turn around and hold a hand to my mouth to keep myself from laughing in their faces.

"Yeah. I think I get the picture. We should go, let them get back to work." Dean says as he walks back towards Sam and I.

"Yeah, you should." Ed says.

"Sam, Shel." Dean says as he walks past us.

"Yeah, work." Ed giggles. "Did you see how into me she was?" A shiver runs up my spine. "I'm sorry. That pot we smoked gave me the giggles."

"Charming." I whisper. Dean drapes his arm over my shoulder again and kisses my temple.

"I'll protect you from the big bad paranormal investigators, sweetheart." He says in my ear. His words make me giggle, and the three of us head back to town. Sam hits the library, and Dean and I head to the police station. We meet back up in front of the library a few hours later.

"Hey." Sam says.

"Hey." Dean and I respond at the same time.

"What do you got?" Dean asks.

"Well I couldn't find a Mordechai but I did find a Martin Murdock who lived in that house in the '30s." Sam says as he shows us the notes he took with his research. "He did have children but only two of them, both boys, and there's no evidence he ever killed anyone." He closes his notes.

"Huh." Dean says.

"What about you guys?" Sam asks.

"Well those kids didn't really give us a clear description of that dead girl but we did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons. It's like she never existed." I answer as we reach the impala. Dean and I head to the driver's side, and Sam walks to the passenger side.

"Dude, come on, we did our digging, man, this one's a bust all right. For all we know those hellHound boys made up the whole thing." Dean says over the roof of the car. Sam looks around and takes a breath.

"Yeah, alright." Sam reluctantly gives in.

"I say we find ourselves a bar and some beers and leave the legend to the locals." Dean says as he opens his door and gets in the car.

I look to Sam as he smirks to me, holding up a hand for me to wait. He leans down to look in the window. Dean turns the impala on and the radio starts blasting latin dance music. I laugh out loud as Dean is startled. He tries to quickly turn the music off. When he turns the nob the music goes off, but the windshield wipers turn on. I have to say it was pretty good, but little Sammy's gotten a bit rusty. Once Dean turns everything off, Sam and I get in the car. Sam mimes himself getting one point for that.

"Oh, please." I say. "That's a half a point at most."

"That's all you got?" Dean asks. "That's weak. That is bush league." With that we head back to the hotel for a bit.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go get some snacks. You want anything?" I ask them.

"Maybe some chips or something." Sam says. "I'm not picky."

"Alright." I say, looking to Dean. "How 'bout you, hot stuff."

"Surprise me." He says, not even lookin' at me.

"Okay, I'll be back." I say as I leave, taking a key so I can get back in. I head to a small grocery store. I grab chips, some sodas, and then go to the candy section for something specific. I hope this place has it or something similar. I spot it and a smile makes its way to my face. I grab one of the chocolate bars, and then a different one of a similar size and shape. I check out and decide to switch the wrappers on the candy bars. I start eating one of them outside the room and head inside. "I'm back." I say with my mouth half full of chocolate.

"What'd you get me, sweetheart." Dean says coming to stand behind me as I close the door. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me close.

"A candy bar." I answer as I turn around in his arms

"A candy bar?" He seems confused. "Like the one in your hand?" I pull out the other candy bar from the bag.

"Yeah, it's a different kind of milk chocolate. I tried it, and I wanted to share it with you two." I say as I start to unwrap it.

"I'm supposed to share my snack with Sam?" He says, feigning irritation. I break a piece off for each of them.

"Well, if you guys try it and one of you doesn't like it, then the other can have the rest of the bar. Got it?" Each of them takes the pieces I offered them, and immediately they pop it in their mouths. I walk away to put down the rest of the food. As I turn back to the boys I start laughing. I can see it in their faces. The burning.

"What the hell." Dean says as he tries to fight through the burn.

"What was in that chocolate, Shel?" Sam struggles. I smile evilly at them as I take a huge bit of the candy bar I had started eating outside. Dean glares at me and grabs both candy bars from my hand. I start laughing as his eyes start to get watery.

"Spicy chocolate? Why does that exist?" Dean asks. I watch Sam as he opens one of the sodas and tries to dull the fire in his throat. I laugh so hard that I fall on the bed I had claimed as my own. "And you didn't buy any milk, did you?"

"Nope." I laugh out.

"Alright, that was a good one." Sam says as the burning subsides. "Two points for Shelby." I fist pump in celebration as I stay lying on the bed.

"Why does she get two points?" Dean asks.

"She got both of us, man." He sort of chuckles, out of breath. "You can't deny that." Dean collapses on the bed next to me. His breathing is heavy.

"You sound like you've just had some really good sex." I turn my head to smile at him.

"I've only sounded like this when I was with you." He blurts out. My face falls, and the atmosphere becomes a bit awkward. I sit up on the bed as Sam clears his throat.

"Well, I'm gonna go to the bar." Sam says, heading to the door.

"I'll catch up with you Sammy." Dean says. Sam leaves, and now it's just Dean and me. I feel the bed move as he sits up next to me. "Look, I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing." I say, not looking at him. "Go to the bar, have a good time with Sammy."

"You should come with." He says.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm tired, so I'm just gonna try and get some sleep." I say as he stands from the bed. I look to the ground as he stops in front of me. He puts his finger under my chin and makes me look up at him. He leans down and kisses my forehead before heading out to the bar. The door shuts and I let a tear roll down my cheek. Fuck. Why do I let him get to me like that? I shake the thought away and lay down to sleep.

I don't know how long I've been asleep when I am woken up by the door to the room opening. I look and see that it's just the boys coming back from the bar. I roll over and try to go back to sleep. Suddenly, one of them lays next to me, smelling like beer. Then, an arm makes its way around me. I'm pulled back into the chest of the man I know I love. I take a deep breath as he buries his face in my hair and I feel him relax a bit.

"You awake?" he asks.

"Mmhm." I say.

"I just don't wanna sleep in the same bed as Sammy." He says

"Sure." I say, already half back to sleep. I feel so safe. God I miss this so much. I feel him kiss the back of my head.

"Night, babe." He says.

"Night." I say before slipping into a peaceful sleep.

"Shel." I hear whispered in my ear. "Come on Shel. Wake up." Ugh, why do I have to get up? I am right where I wanna be for eternity. "Babe, I know how you feel, but we have to get up." I groan in protest. Then I feel his lips on my neck, and I start to giggle.

"Stop it." I say as he continues

"Well, get up and I'll stop." He says before continuing.

"Ugh, get a room." I hear Sam call from the table.

"We did." Dean says. "You're in it." I take a few breaths and open my eyes before sitting up.

"Alright, where are we heading to next?" I ask to both of them.

"We're not goin' anywhere, Shel." Sam says.

"What?" Dean and I say at the same time. Sam turns the newspaper, in his hand, around so we can see.

"Some girl died in the hell house last night." He says. I look to Dean, still laying on his back, and he looks back at me.

"Shit." Dean says getting out of bed. Quickly we get ready and rush over to the house. We get there and there are police everywhere. I watch as the girl's body is brought out in a body bag, on a stretcher. We walk up to a guy standing outside. "What happened?" Dean asks.

"A couple a cops say that poor girl hung herself in the house." The guy says.

"Suicide?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. She was a straight A student, with a full ride to UT too. It just don't make sense." The guy answers before walking away from us.

"What do ya think?" Sam asks us.

"I don't know." I say. "Maybe we missed something." The three of us watch as the body bag is loaded into the coroner's van. We head back to the hotel to plan a trip to the house later that night. Once the sun sets we're off. We sneak up that muddy path and hide in the woods when we see a cop car and two cops are posted at the house.

"I guess the cops don't want anymore kids screwing around in there." Sam whispers.

"Yeah but we still gotta get in there." Dean states the obvious. We hear whispers and twigs breaking. I look around, but dean spots them first. "I don't believe it." I look and see those two nerds who think they're professionals. They're decked out in night vision goggles, with their backpacks and cameras. "I got an idea." Dean says. He stands up a bit and cups a hand to his mouth. "Who ya gonna call!" He yells out, and I have to stop myself from laughing as the guys stop, looking for who yelled out. The cops end up noticing them, and they get chased away. That also leaves the house with no cops around to stop us. We immediately head inside and weapon up. Dean turns on the flashlight and shines it on the odd symbol. "Man, where have I seen that symbol before? It's killing me!"

"We don't have time for that Dean." I say as I walk ahead of them. They follow me down to the cellar. I keep my shotgun pointed in front of me. We look around at everything, the walls the ceiling, the shelves.

"Hey Sam. I dare you to take a swig of this." Dean says, holding a jar of watery red liquid. Sam and I look at him with serious faces.

"Really?" I ask. This isn't the time to be doing this crap.

"What the hell would I do that for?" Sam says. Dean looks back at the jar in his hand.

"I double dare you." Dean persists.

"Please stop acting like a teenager, Dean." I say as I continue to look around the room. The sound of something moving makes all of us look across the room. We walk towards where we heard the sound. There is a cabinet big enough to fit a person. Someone or something could be hiding in it. Dean and I stand back with our guns pointed at the cabinet, as Sam walks forward to open the door. Dean nods to Sam, and Sammy opens the door slowly. Out rushes some rats.

"Arghh! I hate rats." Dean says as he trys to keep his feet away from the scurrying rats. I chuckle at his actions.

"Don't be such a baby." I say.

"So, you'd rather it was a ghost?" Sam asks.

"Yes." Dean answers simply. I look up between the boys and see him, Mordechai. My eyes go wide as I see him lifting an axe to attack.

"Guys?" I say in warning. I raise my gun and shoot as they turn to see him. It hits, but does nothing. Then, Sam takes a shot at it. Still nothing. Dean shoots at it and it fades into a mist as it goes away.

"What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt?" Sam asks in a panic.

"I dunno." I say with just as much panic. Dean looks around with his flashlight.

"Come on. Come on come on!" Dean says, leading the way to the stairs out of the cellar. As we walk by the shelves, Mordechai appears again and brings his axe down on the shelves. Mordechai then attacks Sammy. He's able to hold off the axe with his shotgun.

"Go! Get outta here!" Sam yells. We try to get to the stairs. Mordechai pulls away from Sam and swings his axe at the electrical box. Sparks fly everywhere and we run towards the door. We make it upstairs and Sam kicks down the front door. I jump the steps as the guys roll down them. They pop up real quick, though, and we start running. I barely notice the two ghost professionals as I run by them.

"Get that damn thing outta my face!" I hear Dean yell behind me.

"Go, go, go!" Sam adds. I don't stop until I get to the Impala. I get to my door and look back at the guys.

"Let's go!" I yell to them. Dean finally makes it to the driver's side, and he fumbles with his keys a bit before we are able to get in and drive back to the hotel. Once we get back, Sam started doing some research on whatever we thought Mordechai could be. Dean just sits on the bed drawing that stupid symbol on the note pad provided by the hotel. I pick up a book with something relevant to what we're trying to figure out, and Sam does some searching in his laptop.

"What the hell is this symbol? It's buggin' the hell outta me." I don't answer him. We just continue working. "This whole damn job's buggin' me. I thought the legend said Mordechai only goes after chicks." Dean points out.

"It does." I say.

"Alright. Well I mean that explains why he went after you and Sam, but why me?" He asks.

"Hilarious." Sam says. "The legend also says he hung himself but did you see those slit wrists?"

"Yeah." Dean and I say at the same time.

"What's up with that? And the axe too." Sam says. "I mean, ghosts are usually pretty strict, right? Following the same patterns over and over?"

"But this mook keeps changing." Dean says.

"Exactly." Sam says as he looks up that stupid lore website again. "I'm telling ya, the way the story goes..." He gets to the page and goes to start reading, but stops. "Wait a minute."

"What is it?" I ask, looking at the screen.

"Someone added a new post to the Hell Hound site." Sam informs us. "Listen to this. 'They say Mordechai Murdock was really a Satanist who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's imprisoned in the house for eternity."

"That's not right." I say. "The girl was hung, not chopped to pieces."

"Where the hell is this going?" Sam asks.

"I don't know but I think I might have just figured out where it all started." Dean says. Sam and I turn to him. We get back in the Impala and Dean parks in front of the record shop. We walk in and see Craig walking towards the back of the store. "Hey, Craig. Remember us?" Dean says. The kid stops and turns around to look at us.

"Guys, look I'm really not in the mood to answer any of your questions ok?" He says to us.

"Oh don't worry." I say. "We're just here to buy an album, that's all." Dean turns to the albums. He finds what he's looking for and turns to Sam and I.

"You know I couldn't figure out what that symbol was," Dean says loud enough for Craig to possibly hear him. "And then I realized that it doesn't mean anything. It's the logo for the Blue Oyster Cult." We walk up behind Craig, and Dean starts speaking right to him. "Tell me Craig, you, uh, you into BOC?" Craig turns around to look at us. "Or just scaring the hell outta people?" Dean hands the record over to Craig who flips it over to reveal the odd symbol. "Now why don't you tell us about that house...without lying through your ass this time." The kid puts the record down and faces us. He heaves a big sigh before speaking.

"All right, um. My cousin Dana was on break from TCU. Ah, I guess we were just bored, looking for something to do. So I showed her this abandoned dump I found." He starts. "We thought it would be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So we painted symbols on the walls, some from some albums, some from some of Dana's theology textbooks. Then we found out this guy Murdock used to live there so we...we made up some story to go along with that. So they told people, who told other people. And then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just took on a life of its own. I mean I, I thought it was funny at first but…now that girl's dead. It was just a joke, you know. I mean, none of it was real; we made the whole thing up. I swear." He finishes his explanation. He seemed to get a bit emotional by the end of it.

"Alright." Sam says. This all doesn't even make sense. We turn to leave the store and Dean speaks up.

"If none of it was real how the hell do you explain Mordechai?" He asks.

The next morning, preparing for going back to the hell house, Sam heads to take a shower, Dean heads out somewhere without saying why, and I try to get as much sleep as I can.

"Hey, I'm back." I hear Dean call out.

"Mmm." I groan. Turning over on my side.

"Sorry, babe." He says. Sam says something from the bathroom, but I can't quite understand what he's saying. I hear a shaking sound. "Oh, I went out." Dean says, obviously answering a question Sam asked from the bathroom. I continue to hear the shaking noise. What the heck is it? "Oh, yeah?" The shaking suddenly stops when Sam exits the bathroom. "Tulpa?" I was gonna sit up, but I know that Sam is only in a towel. So I just pretend to be asleep.

"Yeah, a Tibetan thought form." Sam says.

"Ahh, yeah, I know what a Tulpa is." Dean answers "Hey why don't you get dressed, I wanna go grab something to eat. And Shel's pretending to sleep until you put on some pants."

"Oh, sorry." Sam says as Dean heads into the bathroom. I wait for Sam to give me the all clear. "Okay, Shel. It's safe for you to wake up now." He says. By the time Dean is out of the bathroom Sam is fully dressed and I am as awake as I can be. We head to that food place Rodeo Drive. We order our coffees at the walk up window, and it takes about a minute for them to be handed to us. As we walk over to a table, I see Sam walking funny. Dean has a huge smile on his face, but snaps it to serious when he sees that I'm looking at him. He winks at me, hinting that this was a prank he was playing.

"You okay, Sammy?" I ask as Sam grabs some sugar packets.

"Yeah, dude, what's your problem?" Dean asks.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Sam says.

"Yeah?" Dean asks.

"Yeah." Sam confirms.

"Alright, so, ahhh, so keep goin'. What about these Tulpas?" Dean says as we grab a table to sit at.

"Ok, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915." Sam starts as I take a sip of my black coffee. "Group of monks visualize a golem in their heads. They meditate on it so hard they bring the thing to life. Outta thin air."

"So?" Dean asks. I look to Sam as I take another sip of my coffee.

"That was twenty monks. Imagine what ten thousand web surfers could do." Sam says as he pulls out his laptop and sets it on the table. He opens his laptop as he continues. "I mean Craig starts the story about Mordechai, then it spreads, goes online. Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard."

"Okay wait a second." Dean says. "You're trying to tell me that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?" I watch as Sam grimaces and tries to readjust his pants.

"I dunno, maybe." Sam answers as he continues to type on his laptop.

"People believe in Santa Claus," Dean points out. "How come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?"

"Maybe you're on the naughty list." I smile at him, and he smirks back at me.

"And because of this…" Sam says as he turns his laptop so Dean and I can see the screen. On the display is a picture Sam took in the house. It's some symbol spray painted on the wall.

"That looks like some squiggly lines." I say.

"Well, those squiggly lines are a Tibetan spirit sigil. On the wall of the house." Sam starts. "Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook. I bet you they painted this, not even knowing what it was. Now that sigil has been used for centuries, concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass." I look to Sam as he continues talking. "So people are on the HellHounds website, staring at the symbol, thinking about Mordechai...I mean I don't know, but it might be enough to bring a Tulpa to life." Sam finishes as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat again.

"It would explain why he keeps changing." Dean says, taping a sip of his coffee.

"Right, as the legend changes, people think different things, so Mordechai himself changes. Like a game of telephone." Sam informs.

"That explains why the rock salt didn't work." I say.

"Exactly." Sam says before grimacing again.

"Yeah, because he's not a traditional spirit per say." Dean says

"Yeah." Sam confirms as he adjusts himself again.

"Ok. So why don't we just...uhh...get this spirit sigil thingie off the wall and off the website?" I nod in agreement with Dean's words.

"Well it's not that simple. You see, once Tulpas are created they take on a life of their own." Sam says, continuing to shift in his seat.

"Great." I say. "So if he really is a thought form how're we supposed to kill an idea?"

"Well it's not gonna be easy with these guys helping us." Sam turns the computer back towards himself and starts typing again. Then he turns it back to us. "Check out their home page." It's a video of Mordechai that the HellHound guys posted on their page. "Since they've posted the video their number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone."

"Huh," Dean says. "I got an idea." Sam shifts again in his seat. "Come on." Sam closes his laptop and starts to pack his things in his bag.

"Where we goin'?" I ask him.

"Gotta find a copy store." He answers me as we stand from the table.

"Guys, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something." Dean laughs as he walks away. Sam looks to me.

"Don't look at me, Sammy." I say holding my hands up in a sign of ignorance. Then he looks to his brother.

"You did this?" He accuses. Dean continues to laugh as I shake my head; a smile makes its way onto my face. "You're a friggin' jerk."

"Oh yeah," Dean says throwing his fist in the air. We all meet back up at the Impala and Dean drives us to some trailer park. He tells us the plan on the way. We get out of the car and Dean motions to one of the trailers. "Those two are in there. You think you can get them out?" I smirk at him.

"Sure, why not?" I walk up to the door and softly knock three times.

"Who is it?" The voice of Harry said through the door.

"It's me, I wanna talk to you guys about last night." I say, figuring they'll know who I am.

"See? The ladies are already knocking on our door." Ed says. As I hear them coming to the door I backup with Sam and Dean behind me. "What can I do for you my lady…" Ed opens the door and stretches out the last word. He looks a little disappointed. "You're not alone."

"Why'd you think I would be alone?" I smile at them as they peek out of the door.

"Ah, would you look at that! Action figures in their original packaging…what a shock." Dean says. I elbow him in the gut and he grunts.

"Guys, we need to talk." Sam says.

"Yeah, um, sorry guys. We're ahhh," Ed says as both him and Harry step out of the trailer towards us. "A little bit busy right now."

"Don't worry." I say. "This'll be quick."

"Yeah." Dean says. "We need you to shut down your website." Ed turns to Harry as he reacts.

"Man, you know, these guys got us busted last night, spent the night in a holding cell..." Ed says.

"I had to pee in that cell urinal." Harry says to us. "In front of people. And I get stage fright." He says pointing at us.

"Why should we trust you three?" Ed asks.

"Look guys. We all know what we saw last night, what's in the house." Sam says. "But now thanks to your website there are thousands of people hearing about Mordechai."

"That's right." Dean says. "Which means people are gonna keep showing up at the Hell House, running into him in person."

"Somebody could get hurt." I say in all seriousness.

"Yeah." Ed says. I don't think he's taking us seriously.

"Ed maybe they've got a point-" Harry says.

"Nope." Ed says.

"No." Harry changes his tune.

"Okay, we have an obligation to our fans, to the truth." Ed explains. Dean laughs.

"Well I have an obligation to kick both your little asses right now-" He says.

"Dean, Dean, hey, hey, just forget it, all right? These guys," Sam lets out a sigh before continuing. "Probably bitch slap them both," Ed and Harry scoff at that. "I could probably even tell them that thing about Mordechai..." Sam drops the draw. "But they're still not gonna help us. So, let's just go." We turn to leave.

"Yeah, you're right." Dean says as he puts a hand around my waist to lead me off.

"Whoa…whoa." The boys say behind us. They chase us all the way over to the car trying to get us to explain the bait we dangled in front of them. "What thing about Mordechai?"

"Don't tell 'em Sam." Dean says with a smirk.

"But if they agree to shut the website down Dean." Sam says.

"They already said they weren't gonna do that. It's not happening." I say.

"No wait. Wait. Don't listen to him ok? We'll do it." Ed pleads behind us.

"We'll do it." The three of us stop and Dean and I turn to Sam.

"It's a secret Sam." Dean says. Sam turns to the two and starts talking.

"Look, it is a pretty big deal all right." Dean and I feign irritation with Sam. "And it wasn't easy to dig up. So only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down." The three of us are all looking at Ed and Harry now.

"Totally." Ed promises. Sam looks at us for approval. Dean nods to let him tell the guys what we know.

"Alright." Sam says. I look to Dean as he pulls a folded up piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. He hands it to Ed as Sam explains. "It's a death certificate. From the '30s. We got it at the library. Now according to the coroner, the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"That's right. He didn't hang." Dean says.

"Or cut himself." I add.

"He shot himself?" Harry asks in surprise.

"Yep. With a .45 pistol." Sam answers. "To this day they say he's terrified of 'em."

"Matter of fact they say if you shoot him with a .45, loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds, it'll kill the sonuvabitch." Dean says. Harry turns and bolts back to the trailer. That didn't take long. Ed turns to the trailer, but walks slowly instead.

"Harry. Slow your roll buddy." Ed tries to calm his friend down. "They're gonna know we're excited." We smile as we watch them run back to their trailer.

"Alright boys." I say. "Now we wait." I turn to them.

"Anyone else hungry?" Dean asks.

"Starving." I say. We get back in the car and head to a small diner in town. We sit in a booth, Sam on one side and Dean and I on the other. We order some food and beers, and Sam breaks out his laptop to keep track of when Ed and Harry update their website. The food arrives pretty quickly and I dig in immediately.

As I finish my burger and start on my fries I notice Dean looking at the creepy woodcarving hanging on the wall above the table. He reaches out to the string hanging and pulls it. The mouth of the carved fisherman opens and closes as a creepy laugh sounds. I almost turn it off myself when Dean pulls it again and turns it off. About a minute passes and Dean pulls the string again. I reach over him and turn it off, not saying anything. He looks at me before pulling the string again. I turn it off again and look him in the eye.

"If you pull that string one more time I'm gonna make sure you can't use your hands ever again." I threaten in a low voice.

"That would be a bad thing for all women kind, Shel." He says in a cocky tone.

"I'll risk it." I say as I sit back in my seat and continue to eat my french-fries. Out of the corner of my eye I see Dean's hand inch towards the string again. I grab my fork and wait for him to pull that stupid sting. As I expected, he pulls the string. I lift the fork up and thrust it towards his hand that's closest to me. He sees my actions just in time to pull his hand away. The fork sticks into the table instead of his skin.

"Whoa!" He yells out. I let go of the fork and it stays stuck there.

"I warned you." I say as I reach over him to turn the stupid thing off. "Right Sam?"

"She did warn you." Sam agrees with me. I flash a fake smile at Dean before turning my attention to Sam. Dean removes the fork from the table as I speak.

"Did they post it yet?" I ask him as I toss another french-fry in my mouth. Sam turns the laptop around to let Dean and I read the screen.

"We've learned from reputable sources that Mordechai Murdock has a fatal fear of firearms." Dean reads out loud. "Alright. How long do we wait?"

"Long enough for the new story to spread," Sam starts as he closes his laptop. "And the legend to change. I figure by nightfall iron rounds will work on the sucker." Sam picks up his beer and holds the neck towards Dean.

"Sweet." Dean says. He picks up his own beer and they clink their bottles together before taking a sip. As Dean drinks from his bottle, Sam just smiles at him. I look to Dean. When he tries to put the bottle down, he can't. Sam bursts out laughing. I just smile and shake my head, eating the last fry on my plate. Dean looks across the table at his brother. "You didn't." He says in shock.

"Oh," Sam holds up a tube of super glue. "I did." Sam continues to laugh as Dean tries to shake the bottle off. When Sam reaches for the wood carving on the wall I glare at him, and he decides not to pull the string.

"Alright giggles," I say to Sam as I stand up. "I'm gonna take him back to the hotel. Hopefully we can save some of the skin on his hand." I grab Dean's arm and pull him out of the booth. He's still trying to shake the bottle off of his hand. "Lunch is on you." I say pointing to Sam. He waves us off and we walk back to the Impala. "Keys?" I ask him with my hand out. He looks at me and shakes his head. "Well, you can't drive, so give me the keys." He huffs before reaching in his pocket and tossing them to me. We drive back to the hotel and I try to get the bottle off his hand as painlessly as possible. Soon, Sam comes in carrying the clock. "Why I that thing here?"

"I bought it." Sam answers simply.

"You bought it?" I ask angrily, tugging one of Dean's fingers particularly hard. It comes free from the glass bottle

"Oww! Fuck." Dean says.

"Baby." I comment.

"It's gonna help us with the cops tonight." Sam says.

"Whatever." I say. I pull the last finger from the bottle. Dean yells out again. "All that's left is the palm." I say to Dean. He lays back on the bed, breathing heavy. "Sam, can you get me a rag soaked in warm water? Maybe put a little soap on there too?"

"Sure." Sam says. He sets down his bag and that woodcarving and heads to the bathroom. He comes out with a facecloth, slightly lathered up with soap. I wipe at the edges of the glue to try and soften it. It takes a while, but it works and eventually Dean's hand is free. He thanks me with a kiss to the temple and we get ready to finish off Mordechai.

Later that night we head to the woods and set up the carved fisherman in a tree. The boys both look at me, not wanting to catch my wrath. I roll my eyes and pull the string myself. Then we are off to the house. We hide in the bushes until the cops stationed outside go looking for the sound in the woods. We head into the house with guns aimed in front of us. Dean is the only one with a flashlight. We stay back-to-back-to-back as we methodically check the rooms of the house. I hear Dean readjust the grip on his gun.

"I barely have any skin left on my palm." He says.

"I'm not touching that line with a ten foot pole." Sam says. I hold back a laugh as we continue to look around. Dean stops and shines the flashlight in Sam's eyes. Once he winces at the light Dean continues to the next room. We open the door to the room that leads to the basement, guns still drawn. The flashlight is pointed at the closed door to the basement. I take a deep breath.

"So you think old Mordechai's home?" Dean asks.

"I don't know." Sam answers.

"Me either." A voice says from behind us. The three of us turn around and aim our guns at where the voice came from.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hey, whoa!" We see Ed and Harry standing in the doorway with their hands up. We lower our weapons and Dean keeps his flashlight pointed at them.

"Are you guys trying to get yourselves killed?" I ask them.

"We're just trying to get a book and movie deal, ok?" Ed says. A short pause is interrupted by the sound of a blade of some sort being sharpened on the other side of the basement door. All of us turn to it. Sam, Dean, and I aim our guns once again. "Oh crap." Ed says behind me. "Ah guys, you wanna...you wanna open that door for us?" Is this guy for real?

"Why don't you?" Dean asks. Suddenly Mordechai bursts through the door, holding his axe. He screams at us. I empty all of my bullets into the creature, and so do the boys. He disappears into a dark mist. We wait a second before rechecking the house to make sure we actually defeated it.

"Oh God, he's gone. He's gone." Ed says with a breathy voice.

"Did you get 'im?" Harry asks his friend. I walk out of the room to check the house like Sam and Dean. We hear a commotion with Ed and Harry, so the three of us run back in. Mordechai had hit the camera out of Harry's hands with the axe.

"Hey! Didn't you guys post that B.S. story we gave you?" Dean asks them.

"Of course we did." Ed answers. Sam and I look around the room with our gun aimed in front of us.

"Yeah, but our server crashed." Harry adds. Well shit.

"So it didn't take." I say.

"Uh…" Ed says.

"So these, these guns don't work." Dean says holding up his gun.

"Yeah." Ed confirms.

"Great. Sam? Shel? You got any ideas?" Dean asks us. We lower our guns. They aren't gonna do us much good anyway. Ed and Harry leave quickly, but not quickly enough. Mordechai appears in front of the door. They run to another door to try and get away, but they run into a dead end with a locked door. I hear Ed.

"THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!" He screams.

"Hey!" Sam gets the attention of Mordechai. "Come and get it you ugly son of a bitch." I hear them struggle as Dean and I try to figure something out.

"There's only one option here." I say.

"And what's that?" Dean asks.

"Burn it up." Dean nods at my words and we look around in the cabinets for any accelerant. Dean finds Kerosene and I find some rubbing alcohol and a can of spray paint. We pour it on the floor of the biggest room. Sam calls out to us, and we both head to where Mordechai is holding Sam against the wall with the handle of the axe. Dean pulls a lighter from his jacket. I toss him the can of spray paint. "Hey!" Dean yells. Mordechai turns to us. He lights the spray from the can to create a makeshift flamethrower. It distracts Mordechai enough for Sam to get away. Mordechai disappears and we head towards the front door. Sam stops and leans over a bit to grab at his neck.

"Mordechai can't leave the house, and we can't kill him. So, we'll have to improvise." I tell them. Dean holds up his lit lighter to show Sam before throwing it in the room we covered with accelerants. It goes up in flames almost immediately. Sam looks baffled. Mordechai appears on the other side of the flames, so we get out as fast as possible. Once we're outside we run into the woods. We stop and look back at the flaming house. Mordechai is standing in the doorway, not leaving.

"That's your solution?" Sam asks pointing back at the house. "Burn the whole damn place to the ground?"

"Well, at least nobody will go in anymore." I say.

"Look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty but it works." Dean says.

"Well what if the legend changes again and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?" Sam points out.

"Then we'll just have to come back." I say. The three of us watch as the house continues to burn.

"Kinda makes you wonder." Sam says. "Of all the thing we hunted, how many existed just cuz people believed in 'em." That's a good point, but we can't just wait here for the cops to come back. We'd be arrested for arson, for sure. We head back to the Impala and drive to the hotel to check out, then we head over to the trailer park. Sam stays by the car and makes a phone call. Dean goes up the Ed and Harry's car and tosses something through the open backseat window. I sit on a nearby wooden picnic table with my knees apart and the lower half of my legs hanging over the edge. My eyes start to drift shut as Dean walks up in front of me.

"Don't doze off in a trailer park, sweetheart." He says with a smirk. "You never know who could take advantage."

"Would that include you?" I ask him.

"I suppose it would." He answers. I hold my arms out to him, beckoning him closer. I pull him close, wrapping my arms around his mid section. I rest my head on his chest and breathe in his scent, as he wraps his arms around my shoulders.

"I guess if it's you that would be okay." I sigh. I feel him rest his head on top of mine. Why can't moments like this last forever? I hear Sam walk up to us, and I know that the moment must end.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sam asks.

"Yes." Both Dean and I say.

"Sorry." Sam says as he leans against the table next to me. We don't adjust our position, but Dean and Sam start talking about what's next. I'm close to falling asleep against Dean's chest when we hear Ed and Harry walking past us to the convenience store behind us. As they go inside to buy snacks, Dean gently coaxes me to wake up.

"Time to get up, pretty lady." He says.

"I don't wanna." I say.

"Too bad." He says kissing the top of my head before gently pulling me away from him. Then he kisses me on the forehead. We wait in silence. As the paranormal investigators exit the store and walk past us, Dean turns around and crouches slightly in front of me. "Get on, sleepy." He says to me. I am so tired I don't even argue. I hop on his back and throw my arms around his neck. He stands up and grabs my lags as he starts walking behind the two 'professionals'. Sam walks behind us.

"Gentlemen" Ed says.

"And lady." Harry adds.

"Hey guys." Sam replies.

"Should we tell 'em?" Harry asks Ed.

"Hey, might as well, you know, they're going to read about it in the trades." Ed says.

"So earlier we got a phone call from a very important Hollywood producer." Harry informs us.

"Oh yeah, wrong number?" Dean asks.

"No, smart-ass." Ed says. "He read all about the Hell House on our website and wants to option the motion picture rights. Maybe even have us write it." They make it to their car and load the bags of snacks in their back seat.

"And create the RPG." Harry adds.

"The what?" Dean asks.

"Role playing game." I say sleepily from Dean's back.

"Right." Dean says.

"Anyhoo, ahhh, excuse us, we're off to la-la land." Ed finishes as he and Harry get in their car.

"Well congratulations guys. That sounds really great." Sam says.

"Yeah. That's awesome, best of luck to you." Dean follows up.

"What they said." I grunt.

"Oh yeah, luck. That has nothing to do with it. It's about talent. Sheer unabashed talent." Ed boasts. "Later." I hear the car doors close. "See ya 'round." Ed says as they drive off with their over packed camper and car.

"Wow." Dean says as we start walking back to the Impala.

"I have a confession to make." Sam says.

"What's that?" Dean asks.

"I, uh...I was the one that called them and told them I was a producer." I slightly laugh, as does Dean.

"Yeah well I'm the one who put the dead fish in their back seat." Dean confesses.

"So that was what you were doing." I say.

"Time to get in the car, little missy." Dean says to me. He slowly lets my legs go and I let go of my hold around his neck. I lean on the car as Dean unlocks the doors. I get in on my own and immediately lay across the back seat. Dean closes the door for me as I use my bag for a pillow.

"Truce?" Sam prompts Dean.

"Yeah truce." Dean says.

"At least for the next 100 miles." I say with a yawn. Sam sighs, knowing my words are probably the truth.

"She knows me so well." Dean says as he starts the car. He turns on the radio and we're off to the next case. I'm lulled to sleep by the purr of the engine.

A/N: Aww. Is their relationship building back up again? Do you like their relationship? I would love to know what you think about Shelby and Dean. I love reading reviews. I can't wait to read what you guys think.


	6. Between Cases 3

A/N: Two in one day! Woohoo! I hope you guys like it.

It's been about a week since we solved the last case, but we haven't stopped at a hotel. In the back of the Impala I know I'm asleep. My dreams are usually not anything out of the ordinary. Most of the time, it was just memories of Dean and I on the road together. This time it was different. I've never dreamed of that night. I will always remember it, but this is the first time I've dreamed about it.

The room is dark. Only the dim light of the moon illuminates the small crib I see in front of me. The window is open to let in the cool breeze. I try to make out the objects on the shelves. They're all my toys. It's just the way I remember it. My breath hitches as the man, who's not a man, appears next to the crib. As he reaches down to the six month old in the crib, she cries as babies do. I try to move towards the child to help it, but I can't move. I hear someone slowly walking towards the door. No. I try to yell out, but no sound escapes my mouth. I see my mother open the door as she wipes her eyes sleepily.

"You hungry, Shel?" She asks is a sleepy baby voice. When she looks at the silhouette of the man by the crib her eyes go wide. "What are you doing here?" She asks in a more serious tone. I see her grab for a bottle of water by the door. She opens it and tries to splash the figure. He dodges the droplets. "Get away from her." My mother growls. The figure gestures to her, and my mother is thrust to the wall. She drops the bottle of water and she is forced up the wall and onto the ceiling.

A deep voice chuckles as my mother bursts into flames. I look to the figure. He stares at my mother, burning up on the ceiling. Then he snaps his head to look at me. Not the baby me, but the dreaming me. He comes closer to me as I try to move. All I am able to do is stare in those yellow eyes of his. What's going on? He stops in front of me. His height is similar to Sam's, so he towers over me.

"Hello, Shelby." He says looking down at me. "Did you like the show?" He smiles evilly. I don't speak, thinking this is all just a dream. I'll wake up. I'll wake up and this will all be just a dream. "Oh, it's a dream, but I figured I'd pop in to speak to you.

"What?" I ask, finally letting sound escape. I look over to the crib to see my dad finally bursting into the room. I watch as he grabs me from my crib and runs out of the house.

"I'm here to talk to you." He says.

"I don't wanna talk to you." I say, not looking at him. "I wanna kill you."

"Oh, poor little Shelby." He starts. "You can't kill me." I snap my eyes back to look at him. "I mean you no harm, child." I scoff at that. "You're a very special girl. Soon, you will realize that."

"Why me?" I ask.

"To be completely honest, you were a test run for a plan I began years after I visited you and your family." He tells me. I know I shouldn't trust him, but my eyes go wide.

"Sam." I whisper.

"Ah, yes. Little Sammy."

"Don't call him that." I hiss angrily at him.

"Oh yes, only you and his brother get to call him that." He smiles at me. The mention of Dean makes me pause. "I have to tell you something else." He says, breaking the silence. "You and him," He reaches to place a hand on my abdomen. "Would have been so happy." My eyes go wide as I pull back.

"You." I breathe out. "You caused it to-" I don't finish my sentence as tears build up in my eyes.

"Yes, I did." He answers snidely. "It wasn't part of my plans. I couldn't risk it." I just stand there is shock. He comes closer to me and whispers in my ear. "It's time to wake up, my dear." He kisses my temple and I snap my eyes open and sit up, breathing heavy.

"Hey, hey. It's alright." I look to the man in front of me, trying to sooth me. "It was just a bad dream." Dean says, rubbing my arm.

"No, no. It was more than that." I say, catching my breath. I look around and notice that I'm sitting in the back of the Impala. Dean is crouched next to the open back door.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asks with a worried expression. I tense up. I can't tell him. Not yet. I shake my head as I take a deep breath.

"No, I'm fine." He looks like he doesn't believe me, but he lets it slide anyway.

"Well, we're here." He says. I look out the windows. It's light out again.

"Where's here, again?" I ask. Dean stands up as I step out of the car.

"Fitchburg, Wisconsin." He says.

"And how did we get a lead here?" I ask.

"Dad sent us coordinates." He answers.

"Alright." I say as I look at the serene little town we're in. "Let's get started."

A/N: I bet you guys can probably guess really close to what she's not telling Dean, now. I wanted to put this in because the next case deals with children. What do you think? I would love to read your reviews.


	7. Something Wicked This Way Comes

A/N: Here's another chapter. I have just started season 4. I can't wait to get there with this story. Enjoy the chapter.

Sam and I lean against the side of the Impala as Dean goes and grabs us some coffee. I can't tell them that the demon with yellow eyes communicated with me. I would have to tell them everything that happened, and I am so not ready for that yet. Sam and I look at a playground that doesn't seem right. There's only one kid playing, her mother sits on a bench nearby reading a magazine. I look down to the ground as I think about what my life could've been like.

"Well..." I hear Dean say as he comes around the car. Sam grabs one of the cups of the three cups of coffee from his brother and hands it to me, before grabbing another one for himself. "The waitress thinks the local Freemasons are up to something sneaky, but other than that no one's heard about anything freaky going on."

"Dean you got the time?" Sam asks. Dean looks at his watch before answering.

"Ten after Four. Why?"

"What's wrong with this picture." Sam says slightly gesturing to the playground with his head. My eyes go back to the one girl playing.

"School's out isn't it?" Dean asks.

"Where are all the kids?" I ask. "It feels like a ghost town."

"I'll go talk to the mom." Dean says.

"No, let me." I say. I start walking over to the woman, not looking to the boys. Dean calls out to me, but Sam stops him from following. I head to the free side of the bench the mother is on. I sit down and watch the little girl for a second. "It's kinda quiet out here." I comment. The mother looks up from her reading material at me.

"Yeah, it's a shame." She says.

"Why is that?" I ask, turning to her.

"You know, kids getting sick, it's a terrible thing."

"How many?" I ask with concern on my face.

"Just five or six, but serious." She answers. "Hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching." She finishes as she looks back down at the magazine in her lap. I turn back to look at the girl playing by herself. This isn't right. This isn't normal. I stand from the bench and make my way back to the boys. I take a sip of my coffee as they look at me, curiosity present in their expressions.

"We need to hit the hospital next." I say. "Kids are getting sick, and no one knows why."

"Are you okay, Shel?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lie as I take a sip of my coffee. "Now, we need to change, and head to the hospital. Dean squints his eyes at me. I open the door to the back seat and get in as the boys slowly follow. We head into a local diner to change in the bathroom, and drive over to the hospital. Dean and I take out IDs saying that we work for the CDC, or Center for Disease Control.

"Where's mine?" Sam asks.

"I don't have one for you." Dean says as he looks through the rest of his stash for something Sam can use. "Here, just use this one." Dean hands him a random card. With that, the three of us head inside. "You know, I always love when you wear that outfit, Shel." He sucks in a breath. "Just somethin' about a powerful woman in a blazer, pencil skirt, and some dangerous lookin' heels." I smile as we walk in the doors.

"Guys, I am not using this ID." Sam says.

"Why not?" Dean asks.

"Cause it says bikini inspector on it." Sam says quietly. Dean and I both smile at that.

"Don't worry, she won't look that close alright? Hell, she won't even ask to see it." Dean says.

"It's all about confidence Sammy." I pipe up. As we pass the desk, Dean turns Sam to the receptionist. Dean and I stop a short distance away.

"Hi. I'm Doctor Jerry Caplin, Centers for Disease Control." He says to the woman.

"Can I see some ID?" The lady asks him. Dean almost laughs as Sam looks towards us.

"Yeah, of course." Sam flashes a big smile at her as he pulls out the ID. He quickly flashes it at her then puts it back in side his jacket. "Now could you direct me to the pediatrics ward please?"

"Okay well, just go down that hall, turn left and up the stairs." The woman instructs. Sam walks over to us.

"See, confidence." I say to him.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He replies in a low voice. "Follow me. It's upstairs." We walk upstairs and down a hallway. Halfway down I notice Dean isn't following Sam and I.

"Sam." I call out to get him to stop walking. We look back at Dean, stopped at one of the open doors.

"Dean." Sam calls out to him. Dean starts following us again, and I notice him glance back at the door.

"You okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine." He says, shooting me a pointed glare. He knows there's something going on with me, and he's throwing my words from earlier back at me. I roll my eyes as we continue to the pediatrics ward. Once we get there we meet the doctor in charge for the ward. "Well, thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker." Dean says as we walk into the waiting room.

"Well I'm glad you guys are here." The doctor says. "I was just about to call CDC myself. How'd you find out anyways?"

"Oh some GP, I forget his name," Dean answers. "He called Atlanta and, uh, he must've beat you to the punch." We walk along the glass wall with all the sick children in their hospital beds. The image of the grieving mothers, still filled with some hope for their kids, pulls at my heart. I can't pull my eyes away from the children just wasting away. It

"So, you say you got six cases so far?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, five weeks." Hydecker answers. "At first we thought it was garden variety bacterial pneumonia. Not that newsworthy. But now..."

"Now what?" I ask, forcing myself to look away from the patients and to the doctor.

"The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are ... wearing out." The doctor answers. I look back to the poor kids.

"Excuse me, Dr. Hydecker." A nurse says handing him some papers to sign.

"You ever see anything like this before?" Sam asks the doctor.

"Never this severe." He answers.

"And the way it spreads...that's a new one for me." The nurse adds as the doctor signs the papers.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"It works its way through families. But only the children, one sibling after another." That's very strange. That's no regular sickness.

"You mind if we interview a few of the kids?" Dean asks.

"They're not conscious." The nurse replies.

"None of them?" Sam asks.

"No." She answers simply.

"Can we, uh, can we talk to the parents?" Dean continues.

"Well, if you think it'll help." The doctor says.

"Yeah." Dean insists. "Who was your most recent admission?" We're directed to a man in the waiting room. We ask to speak to him out in the hallway. He agrees and we sit him down. He doesn't seem too interested in talking to us for too long. What loving father would want to be away from his sick daughters? But, we need answers.

"I should get back to my girls." He tells us.

"We understand that, and we really appreciate you talking to us." I say in a soft comforting voice.

"Now you say Mary is the oldest?" Sam asks.

"Thirteen." He answers.

"Ok. And she came down with it first, right? And then..."

"Bethany, the next night." The father says.

"Within twenty four hours?" I ask.

"I guess." The man says. "Look, I, uh, I already went through all this with the doctor."

"Just a few more questions if you don't mind." I say, trying to make him feel a little more at ease.

"How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?" Dean asks.

"No. We think it was an open window." The man says looking down at his hands.

"Both times?" I ask.

"The first time, I, I don't really remember but the second time for sure." The father answers. "And I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed."

"So you think she opened it?" Sam asks.

"It's a second story window with a ledge. No one else could've." The man answers. We let the man go back to his daughters and start making our way out of the hospital. I lead the way as the boys follow.

"You know this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia." Sam says.

"That's a nice thought, but it's not." I say harshly.

"Yeah, dad sent us down here for a reason. I think we might be barking up the right tree." Dean says.

"It's so familiar to me, but I just can't put my finger on it." I say.

"I'll tell you one thing." Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"That guy we just talked to? I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home." Sam suggests.

"Let's not waste any more time, then." I say. We change back into casual clothes before we get back in the Impala.

As we drive to the man's house, I think about those poor kids again. What would I do if I were in their position? I would be a mess. Even as a hunter, I would just shut down. I know that Dean would go crazy trying to fix it. Sam would be trying to comfort me, and John would be helping Dean. Well, something like that will never happen. The car stops and we head inside to investigate what might have really happened to these poor kids. We find one of the little girl's bedrooms and start looking around. We pull out some devices to help us.

"You got anything over there?" Sam asks.

"Nope." I answer.

"Nothing." Dean agrees.

"Yeah, me neither." Sam says. I watch him walk over to the window. I look around at the little girl's room. It reminds me of my own room from when I was a baby; toys on shelves, a small bookcase. "Hey, guys?" Sam says, snapping me back to reality.

"Yeah?" Dean and I say at the same time.

"You were right." Sam sighs as he steps away from the window he just opened. "It's not pneumonia." Dean and I join him at the window. On the outside of the windowsill is a strange handprint.

"That's rotted." I point out as I touch the blackened wood.

"What the hell leaves a handprint like that?" Sam asks. This is what I think it is, but I can't name it. This is like having a song in your head and not remembering what the name is. This is so frustrating. Dean leans on the windowsill next to me to take a closer look. He starts to look a bit out of it.

"I know why Dad sent us here." He says, standing back up. "He's faced this thing before. He wants us to finish the job."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asks.

"It's a Shtriga." Dean says as he turns to leave the room. I clap my hands together.

"That's it!" I yell, a bit excited. "Man, you don't know how long I've been trying to remember what it's called." I say as I follow Dean. Sam follows me out and we drive around to find someplace to stay for the night. After dark we find a place. Dean parks in front of the office door. All of us get out of the car.

"So what the hell is a Shtriga?" Sam asks.

"It's...kinda like a witch I think. I don't know much about 'em." Dean says.

"Me neither." I add as Dean heads to the trunk.

"Well I've never heard of it. And it's not in Dad's journal." Sam joins Dean at the now open trunk.

"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin, about 16, 17 years ago." Dean informs his little brother. "You were there. You don't remember?"

"No." Sam answers.

"I guess he caught wind of the things in Fitchburg now and kicked us the coordinates." Dean says as he goes through the credit cards that he has in one of the bags.

"So wait, this..." Sam pauses thinking of the name again.

"Shtriga." I tell him.

"Right." Sam says. "You think it's the same one Dad hunted before?"

"Yeah, maybe." Dean answers shutting the trunk.

"But if Dad went after it why is it still breathing air?" It's a good point. John's a pretty talented hunter. It's not often something could get away from him.

"Cause it got away." Dean answers simply, walking towards the office door.

"Got away?" Sam asks. Dean stops in his tracks and turns back to Sam as I walk around the opposite side of the car.

"Yeah Sammy it happens." I can tell he's getting a bit irritated with all the questioning.

"Not very often." Sam points out.

"Well I don't know what to tell ya, man. Maybe Dad didn't have his Wheaties that morning." Dean says before turning away and continuing on his path to go inside.

"What else do you remember?" Sam asks yet another question.

"Nothin'." Dean says defensively. "I was a kid all right?" With that Dean enters the reception area to book a room. Sam turns to talk to me over the roof of the car.

"You think it's weird too, right?" He asks me.

"Yeah, John was a really thorough hunter." I say. "If he's after something, either he's gonna kill it, or it's gonna kill him." I see a woman enter the office. "I'm gonna go see if he needs any help in there. Sam smiles at me as I walk in.

"Two queens." I hear a boy say.

"Hey babe, everything okay?" I ask as I come up on his left, grabbing his arm.

"Yeah, we're all good in here, honey." Dean says as he pulls me into a kiss. It was soft and quick. As we pull away, Dean shoots a look at the kid. He holds up his hands in defense. "Funny kid." Dean says to the woman behind the desk. He wraps an arm around my waist.

"Oh, yeah. He thinks so." The woman says, filling out paperwork. "Will that be cash or credit?" She asks, looking up at us.

"You take MasterCard?" He asks.

"Mmhm." She answers with a nod.

"Perfect." He says taking out a card with the name Kris Warren on it. He sets it on the counter. "Here you go." She gives us the check-in paper to sign, but I notice Dean zoning out a bit. I follow his line of sight to the two boys in the back.

"Babe." I say, trying to get his attention. He doesn't react.

"Sir." The woman tries. Finally, he snaps back to reality and takes the card from her hands.

"Thanks." Dean smiles at her. He signs the paper and she gives us another paper to sign. The receipt I think. Then, we head outside.

"Let's go." I say. The boys have no objection as we drive the Impala over to our room. As we get settled in Sam pulls out his laptop to look up the lore of Shtrigas. Dean and I check out the kitchen area as we look for something in any of the books we have at the small table. Hours pass and Dean brews some coffee. He hands me a mug filled with the rich brown liquid. As I take a sip Sam pipes up.

"Well, you were right. Heh. It wasn't very easy to find but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian," Sam says looking towards us. "But legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off _spiritus vitae_."

"Spiri-what?" Dean asks.

"Vitae. It's Latin for 'breath of life'." I say.

"Kinda like your life force or essence." Sam

"Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" Dean asks as he writes something down.

"Even if he didn't, the kid clearly looks like they were wasting away." I say sadly as I look down at the book in front of me.

"It's a thought." Sam says. "You know she takes your vitality maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway," He goes back to reading from his laptop. "Shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer..."

"Children." Dean and I say at the same time.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this. Shtrigas are '...invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man.'" Sam reads from his laptop again.

"That can't be right." I say my thoughts out loud. "She must be vulnerable at some point." Dean puts his pencil down and walks over to his bag on the bed Sam isn't taking up.

"Yeah. She's vulnerable when she feeds." Dean answers me.

"What?" Sam asks. Dean unzips the bag to pull out a leather bound journal. I don't think it's Johns, though.

"If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron. Ahhh...buckshots or rounds I think." Dean informs us. I take another sip of coffee as I look down at the book in front of me again.

"How do you know that?" Sam asks.

"Dad told me. I remember." Dean says as he makes his way back to the counter.

"Oh." Sam sighs, but he seems upset. "So uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?" I shift my gaze between the two as an air of tension settles in the room.

"Nope, that's it." Dean says. There's a short pause as Sam keeps staring at his brother. Dean looks up at Sam. "What?"

"Nothin'." I scoff at Sam's words. "Okay. So," Sam gets up from the bed and walks towards us. "Assuming we can kill it when it eats we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting."

"What kinda human disguise?" I ask.

"Well, historically, something innocuous." Sam answers as he goes to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started."

"Hang on." Dean says turning to me. "Hey Shel, you got a map over there?" I put down my mug and lift the book in front of me up. There, folded up, is a map of the town. I grab it and hold it out to Dean.

"Here."

"Thanks, babe." He says. I've noticed that he's calling me babe more often. I guess old habits die-hard. He unfolds the map and shows Sam. "Check this out." He says as he sets it down on the counter. "I marked down all the addresses of the victims." He says as I join them. I see the red X's marked on the map. "Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?"

"The hospital." Sam says.

"The hospital." Dean confirms. "Now when we were there I saw a patient, an old woman."

"An old person huh?" Sam says to Dean as if he were stating something not out of the ordinary.

"Yeah." Dean says.

"In a hospital?" Sam says, continuing his tone. "Better call the Coast Guard." He chuckles as he turns back to his coffee.

"Isn't that what we're looking for, smartass?" I say. "Someone who blends in, and doesn't particularly grab anyone's attention?" Sam turns back to us and leans on the counter behind him. "Anything else odd about 'er?" I ask Dean.

"Well, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall." Sam's expression turns serious at Dean's words.

"Let's go check 'er out then." I say, as I get ready to go. They copy my actions and soon we are headed to the hospital. We walk inside and head up the stairs like we did earlier. The lights are dimmed and I see someone buffing the floor at the end of the hallway. We hear some voices in the perpendicular hall and I press myself against the wall to stay out of sight. The boys turn their backs to hide their faces and mine from view.

"Good night Dr. Hydecker." A nurse says.

"See you tomorrow Betty." He replies.

"Try to get some sleep." She tells him as he walks past the hallway we're in. Once he's gone we continue on our quest to the old lady's room. We get to a slightly brighter hallway and Dean stops at a door labeled with the number '237'. Dean takes out his gun and Sam opens the door quietly. We head inside. Dean walks towards the woman as Sam takes the middle ground. I pull the blinds on the inside window in case someone passes by. We don't need someone catching us. Once I'm done with that I pull out my gun and aim it at the back of the woman's head. She is completely still. Is she dead? Dean gets close to her to see if she's still breathing. Suddenly she jerks her head towards Dean and he jumps back about two feet into the wall.

"Who the hell are you?" She asks out loud. Sam and I pull our guns back. "Who's there?" She asks shifting her head side to side. "You trying to steal my stuff?" Sam turns the light in the room on. "They're always stealing around here." I can now see that she has a fog over her eyes. She can't see anything with cataracts like that.

"No! Ah, ma'am, we're maintenance." Sam says.

"We're sorry. We thought you were sleepin'." I say in a soothing voice.

"Ahhh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open." The woman says as she starts laughing. "And fix that crucifix, would ya?" She says gesturing to the wall by Dean. "I've asked four damn times already!" I look over to Dean and let out a breath as he flicks the cross. It corrects itself and we turn to leave.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am." I say. We sneak back out of the hospital and head back to the motel. It's light out by the time we get back. Sam shakes his head and laughs a little.

"I was sleeping with my peepers open?" He quotes the old lady as he continues to laugh.

"It's not funny Sam." I say as we all get out of the car.

"I almost smoked that old girl, I swear." Dean says. Sam goes to unlock the room door, still laughing.

"Oh man, you shoulda seen your face, Dean." Sam says. I look over towards the office and see the older kid from last night sitting on a bench. He looks upset.

"Yeah, laugh it off. Now we're back to square one." Dean says.

"Hang on." I say as I start walking towards the kid.

"Where're you goin'?" I hear Sam ask. I don't answer, and I hear their footsteps following me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask the kid as I crouch down to his eye level. He turns to me and I see that his eyes are red and puffy.

"My brother's sick." He answers. Oh no.

"The little guy?" Dean asks from behind me. He nods in answer.

"Pneumonia." The boy voices our fears. "He's in the hospital. It's my fault."

"Ah c'mon, how?" Dean asks.

"I shoulda made sure the window was latched. He wouldn't 'ave got pneumonia if the window was latched." The kid says as he looks down at his lap.

"Listen. This was not your fault. Okay?" I say. He looks at me, and I can tell he doesn't believe my words.

"It's my job to look after him." The boy says. I look to the boys before hearing the office door open. I look up and see the mother rushing out with her arms full.

"Michael." She says, getting the kid's attention. He stands from the bench, and walks over to his mother as I stand up. "I want you to turn on the no vacancy sign while I'm gone." She tells him as she packs up her car. "I've got Denise covering room service so don't bother with any of the rooms."

"I'm going with you." The boy says.

"Not now Michael." She says firmly.

"But I gotta see Asher!" He insists. We walk up to the two of them as Dean speaks to the kid.

"Hey Michael. Hey. I know how you feel. I'm a big brother too, but you gotta go easy on your Mom right now, ok?" The kid's mother shuts the car door, but accidentally drops her purse. Sam jumps to the rescue and picks it up for her.

"I got it." He says. "Here." He hands her the purse. "Thank you." The woman says taking it from him.

"Hey, listen, you're in no condition to drive." I say to her. She looks to me.

"Yeah, why don't you let me give you a lift to the hospital." Dean offers.

"No, I couldn't possibly-"

"No, it's no trouble. I insist." Dean interrupts. She pauses and hands him her keys.

"Thanks." She says. I watch as he kisses her son on the top of the head. "Be good." She says to him. She gets in the passenger seat, dean closing the door for her. Then, he turns to Sam and I.

"We're gonna kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me?" Dean says before heading to the driver's side. I watch them drive away. The kid heads inside and I turn to Sam.

"Time for research." I say. Sam nods to me and we head over to the library. As I start searching for any books that might help us, Sam hops on a microfiche machine. About an hour later, I give up on the books and start looking over Sam's shoulder. He scrolls past a picture that catches my eye. "Wait, wait, wait." I say. "Go back to that picture." He scrolls back and I point to one of the men in the picture. "Does that guy look familiar to you?" Sam looks closer and starts reading the article that goes with it.

"No way." Sam says in disbelief. He immediately pulls out his phone and gives Dean a call. I only hear Sam's side of the conversation. "Hey. How's the kid?... We're at the library. We've been trying to find out as much as we can about this Shtriga… Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas around the time you said Dad was there?" Sam scrolls back to the top of the newspaper. "Same deal. Before that, there was, uh, Ogdenville, before that North Haverbrook, and Brockway. Every 15 to 20 years it hits a new town. Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitchburg. In all these other places it goes on for months. Dozens of kids before the Shtriga finally moves on. The kids just ... languish in comas and then they die." This is really not good. How could this thing do this to kids? Innocent kids that haven't really lived life yet. "Ah, I don't know. The earliest mention I could find is this place called "Black River Falls" back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror show."

"Tell him about the picture." I whisper harshly to Sam.

"And Shel noticed a picture in one of the articles…. It's a photograph of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the Doctors is Hydecker…. And this picture was taken in 1893…. Yeah. Yeah absolutely." A few seconds later Sam hangs up and stands from his chair. "Let's meet back up at the motel." He says. We leave and wait at the room for Dean to come back. We didn't have to wait too long for Dean to burst through the door and sits on the bed next to me.

"We should have thought of this before." Sam says, pacing the room.

"A doctor is a perfect disguise." I say. "You're trusted, you can control the whole thing." Dean stands up and takes his leather jacket off, tossing it to the floor.

"That son of a bitch." Dean says beginning to pace as well.

"I'm surprised you didn't draw on 'im right there." Sam says leaning against the counter in the kitchenette area.

"Yeah well, first of all, I'm not going to open fire in a freakin' pediatrics ward." Dean says.

"Good call." Sam comments.

"Second, wouldn't have done any good, because the bastard's bullet proof unless he's chowing down on somethin'." Dean makes a good point. "And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing cause I probably would have just burned a clip in him on principle alone." To be honest, I probably would've too. I feel like children should be off limits. I slightly shake my head in frustration.

"You're getting wise in your old age Dean." Sam says.

"Damn right." Dean says as I look up at him from my seat on the edge of the bed. "Cause now I know how we're going to get it."

"Wait, what? How?" I ask, following him as he walks towards Sam. I stand up and join them.

"Shtriga, works through siblings right?" He says.

"Right." Sam says. I think about Dean's words.

"You're not really thinking of using the kid as bait are you?" I ask Dean harshly. I glare at him as Sam looks between us. Dean doesn't even look at me.

"It's the only way." He says. "If this thing disappears it could be years before we get another chance."

"He's just a kid, Dean." I say as I stare him down. I notice Sam hasn't said anything about this. I turn to look at him. "Are you gonna say anything?" My question snaps him back to reality.

"Come on, man." Sam says to his brother. "We can't just dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook."

"Dad did not send me here to walk away." Dean says.

"Send YOU here?" Sam asks. "He didn't send you here, he sent us here." He points out.

"This isn't about you two, alright?" Dean says, turning away from us. "I'm the one who screwed up. It's my fault. There's no telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me." What is he talking about?

"How is this your fault?" I ask. There's a long pause before Sam breaks it.

"Dean. You've been hiding something from the get-go." Sam points out. Even I think he was acting a bit weird, but I didn't want to point it out because I'm also hiding something. "Since when does Dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away?" I watch as Dean sits on the end of the closest bed. "Now talk to us, man. Tell us what's going on."

There's a short pause before Dean starts explaining to us what happened in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin. On the third day there he decided to leave the room to get some fresh air. When he cam back to the room the Shtriga was feeding on Sam. Luckily John came back in time to save the kid. After the Shtriga was scared off and Sam woke up John focused his attention on Dean. I can tell you it's never good to be on the other side of John's temper. He will yell at you until he's blue in the face. It actually brings back a few good memories of my own, but this was not a great memory for Dean. It's probably why he does everything John says.

"Dad just...grabbed us and booked." Dean explains as Sam sits on the other side of him. I'm on his right and Sam's on his left. "Dropped us off at Pastor Jim's about three hours away, but by the time he got back to Fort Douglas the Shtriga disappeared, it was just gone." I bring my hand up and start gently rubbing his back to console him a bit. "It never surfaced until now. You know, Dad never spoke about it again, I didn't ask. But he...ah...he looked at me different, you know? Which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen, I almost got you killed."

"You were just a kid." Sam says quietly.

"Don't." Dean says quickly. "Don't." I drop may hand, the one rubbing his back, into my lap. "Dad knew this was unfinished business for me. He sent me here to finish it."

"But using Michael, I don't know Dean. I mean, how 'bout one of us hides under the covers, you know, we'll be the bait." Sam suggests.

"Yeah, I'm small enough. It might work." I say softly.

"No, it won't work." Dean rejects the idea. "It's gotta get close enough to feed. It'll see us. Believe me, I don't like it, but it's gotta be the kid."

"If he were my kid, I'd rather die than have him be bait." I say. The boys look to me with questioning expressions. "You're gonna have to get the kid to cooperate, and I'm not helping you with this one." I stand up from the bed and put on my coat.

"But he's not your kid, Shel." Dean points out as I'm facing away from them. His words stop me in my tracks.

"Maybe not. But I draw the line at using kids as bait." I grab some cash and start walking to the door. "If the kid's fine with your crazy ass plan, then so be it. But I won't be part of it."

"Shel." Sam and Dean both say, trying to get me to calm down and help them.

"No!" I yell at them. "And that's final!" I turn to the door. "I'll be at the bar when this is all over." I say as I open the door. I look at them over my shoulder. "Good luck, boys." I walk out and slam the door. I hear them talking about how they're gonna convince the kid without me. I hear the door swing open behind me, but I don't turn around. I just keep walking across the parking lot with my hands in my pockets. I'll have to search around town for a bit to find a bar. I don't remember seeing one.

"Shel." I hear Sam's voice call to me. I shake my head and keep walking. "Hey!" He yells as he catches up to me. He grabs my shoulder and turns me around to stop me and make me look at him. "Please. You need to help us with this."

"Why?" I laugh out. "Because you guys say so?" Sam just looks down at me and I'm reminded of the yellow-eyed demon and my dream. "I'm sorry Sammy, but I have standards." He continues to look in my eyes.

"You're hiding something too." He says.

"Yup." I answer truthfully. "And I'm not gonna tell you until I tell Dean first. And I'm not ready yet." I pause for a moment before turning and walking away from the young Winchester. I hear him let out a frustrated sigh and walk back to the room.

I keep walking into town. I find a bar and order a beer. I take sips and think about the right time or place to tell Dean the secret I'm keeping. How am I going to word it? How will he react? Will he be upset with me for keeping it from him? These questions and many more go through my mind as I continue to take sips. A few guys try to hit on me, but I shoot them down pretty quickly. One of them tries to buy me a drink and I refuse. The bartender shouts 'last call'. I pay for my one beer, which I didn't even finish, and I leave.

I walk around town for a while and finally end up sitting on one of the benches at the playground. I stare at the monkey bars and the swings. I feel tears leave my eyes as I sit there in a daze. I don't know how long I've been sitting here when a familiar presence sits to my right.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" He breaks the silence. I wipe away the streams of liquid from my cheeks and clear my throat.

"Not yet." I whisper.

"Come on, Shel." He says resting his hand on my knee. "It's eating you up. I can see it. Sam can see it."

"You're not ready." I say.

"How do you know that?" He asks. "Are you me?"

"You don't understand."

"Well, then help me understand!" He says raising his voice. I take a deep breath. Should I tell him now? I look at the playground and tears start to escape again. "Please, Shel. I hate seein' you all torn up about whatever this is. Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy. I can handle it." I shake my head. "Can you at least look at me?" Slowly I turn my head to look at him. I look in his eyes and I can't help but let out a sob. I bring my hands up to cover my mouth. "Hey, hey. It's okay, babe." He says softly. He pulls me to him and I bury my face in his shoulder. He rubs my back until I calm down and pull away from him.

"After we went our separate ways." I start. "I hung out at Bobby's for a while. I kept getting sick. He finally brought me to a doctor to get checked out." I take another breath. "They did some tests."

"And…?" He asks. Does he really not understand where this is going?

"And…the doctor told me I was pregnant."

"What? Is it mine?" Now he gets it. I shoot a glare his way.

"Of course it was yours." I shoot at him. "I'm not the one that was sleeping with everything that had boobs and a low IQ."

"Alright, I get it. So wait. Do I have a kid somewhere?" He asks. Concern on his face.

"Possibly, but not with me." I try to joke. Now he looks confused. "I miscarried, Dean." I say looking down at my lap. "I was about six months along when it happened. It was the worst thing that I've ever experienced in my life."

"I'm so sorry." I hear a shake in his voice. I look at him and I see his eyes look a little watery. "Who knew?"

"Well, Bobby, a couple hunters that knew my dad, and…John." I say.

"Dad knew?" He asked. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"I'm not really sure." I say, voice shaking. He stands from the bench and starts pacing. "Maybe he thought you weren't ready for family life."

"I would've been ready." He shoots back.

"No." I say bluntly. "I wasn't even ready, Dean." He turns to me. "And it sucks because I was just getting used to the idea of being a mom when everything went wrong." He kneels in front of me ad grabs my hands.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He says softly. "You have my number. Why didn't you just call me?" I look into his eyes and I see sadness and pain.

"You had hurt me. I wasn't quite over that, yet." I whisper.

"But you were gonna keep it, weren't you?"

"Not it, Dean. He." His eyes go wide at my words. The tears just keep coming. "And yes. I was gonna keep 'im." I smile. "I was gonna name 'im John. He was such a big help when he wasn't on cases with you."

"Wait, when he left me to go on cases by himself he was helping you?" I nod in answer. He lays his head on my lap. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." I say as I work my fingers into his hair.

"I'm such an idiot." He says.

"Yes, but that's one of the reasons I love you so much." I say, not even thinking about it. He lifts his head to look at me.

"You love me?" He asks, his voice a bit shaky. "Even after everything I put you through?" A tear finally escapes his eye. I reach my right hand up and caress his cheek, wiping the tear away.

"Yes, I do." I smile at him through my own tears. He stands up in front of me and holds out a hand to me. I place my hand in his and he gently pulls me up and into a hug. I bury my face in his shoulder again.

"I love you too." He whispers I my ear. "It's gonna be hard for me to change, but I'll do it. For you, babe." I smile and hug him tighter. I never want this moment to end, but it must. We pull away and take a breath as I wipe the tears from my cheeks.

"I feel so much better." I laugh out.

"I bet you do." He says. "That's a lot to keep inside. I don't know how you kept it for so long." He pulls me back close, but rests his forehead on mine. I decide not to tell him about my dream. No need to get him all worked up again. He caresses my cheek and brings his lips to rest on mine. It's nothing crazy, just a soft kiss that all of our love for each other is poured into. I change my mind. This is the moment I really want to last forever. We pull away and he rests his forehead on mine again.

"So," I say, breathing heavy. "What happened with the Shtriga?" I ask, changing the subject.

"The kid agreed." He says, still holding me close. "And long story short, we got it."

"That's good." I say.

"Now, why don't we head back to the motel and get a few hours of sleep. Cuz we are outta here in the morning." He suggests. I laugh and nod in agreement. He releases me, but takes a hold of my hand as we walk back to the motel. We enter the room and Sam is already asleep in one of the beds. We quickly get ready for bed, and we lay in the same bed. I turn onto my right side and he pulls me back into his chest. I feel him Bury his face in my hair. "Good night, babe." He whispers to me.

"Night, handsome." I whisper back. We fall asleep quickly after that.

The next morning, Sam wakes us up. He doesn't ask us what happened between us last night, and I am so thankful for that. We get dressed and pack up all of our research materials. We head outside, and pack the bags in the trunk of the Impala.

"Hey, Joanna." Dean says to the woman who runs the motel. "How's Asher doing?" She looks like she's looking for something.

"Have you seen Michael?" She asks. Sam and I look up at her worried voice.

"Mom, mom." The boy calls out as he runs up to her.

"Hey." She says with a smile as she pulls him into a hug.

"How's Ash?" The kid asks his mom.

"Got some good news. Your brother's gonna fine." She answers.

"Really?" The kid asks in disbelief.

"Yeah. Really." Her smile doesn't leave her face. "No one can explain it. It's a miracle." I look to Sam and Dean with a smile. "They're going to keep him in overnight for observation and then he's coming home." She says turning to us.

"That's great." Dean says.

"How are all the other kids doing?" Sam asks.

"Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days." Her smile grows. "Dr. Travis says the ward's going to be like a ghost town."

"Dr. Travis? What about Dr. Hydecker?" I ask her.

"Oh he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something." She answers.

"Yeah. Yeah must have." Dean comments.

"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" She asks Michael. The kid glances our way.

"Nah, same old stuff." He lies to her.

"Ok. You can go see Ash." She says.

"Now?" He asks, excitedly.

"Only if you want to." She answers him. The kid looks at us again, and Dean nods to him. He bolts to the car.

"I, ah, I'd better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself." She says with a huge smile. He sounds like someone else I know. I look at Dean and smile. The woman walks away and soon they drive off towards the hospital. We turn back to the trunk, and Dean closes it.

"It's too bad." Sam says.

"Oh, they'll be fine." Dean says as we all head to our respective doors.

"That's not what I meant." Sam says, resting his elbows on the roof of the car. "I meant Michael. He'll always know there are things out there in the dark. He'll never be the same, you know?" There's a long pause before Sam breaks it himself. "Sometimes I wish that..."

"What?" I ask him.

"I wish I could have that kinda innocence." Sam states. Another long pause ensues, but this time Dean breaks it.

"If it means anything," Dean starts. "Sometimes I wish you could too." With that, Dean opens the driver's side door and gets in. I follow his actions, and soon Sam does too. Dean starts the car and soon we're back on the road. Dean blasts some ACDC as I work my fingers through his hair as I lean forward in the back seat. He smiles at me in the rearview mirror, and Sam just shakes his head at us with a smile on his face.

A/N: Ahhhh! Emotions. I can't deal. What do you guys think? Did you like this chapter? I would love to read your reviews.


	8. Between Cases 4

A/N: Here's another between cases for you. Enjoy.

 **Warning: This is a sex chapter. If you don't want to read it you don't have to. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.**

We've stopped for the night, somewhere in New England. Dean books two rooms and I laugh.

"What? A guy can't be hopeful?" Dean asks. "And little Sammy would be pretty upset if we kicked him out in the middle of the night." He smirks. I look over at Sam, who just rolls his eyes. We bring our bags to our rooms, and I get ready for bed. "What're you doing?" He asks with a smile.

"You said you were hopeful." I say. "That doesn't mean anything's going to happen." I smile at him. I put on pajama pants and tank top before getting under the covers. I watch, as Dean gets ready for bed. He's only in his boxers when he joins me.

"So, you rethink my hopes and dreams?" He asks. I snicker at his question.

"You remember you actually have to work for it, right?" I ask him. He thinks about it for a second. His eyes meet mine, and I can see the lust burning in them. I decide to screw with him a bit. "What if I told you that I'm too tired?" He squints his eyes at me.

"Is this some sort of test?" He asks.

"I think you already know the answer to that." I answer him.

"I guess I would just have to take a cold shower." He says. I laugh at his answer to my question.

"Well, good thing you don't have to." I comment. His face lights up with happiness. "Now, I just want to lay down some ground rules if we're going to try this relationship thing again." I see his face fall a bit. "I will allow you to flirt with other girls."

"What?" He asks. He seems very confused. I take a deep breath before explaining.

"As much as I don't like it, it's one of your best skills. And we've gotten pretty reliable leads from it a few times." I say. "But, no kissing, and no sex with anyone but me." I pause to see if he'll argue. When he doesn't I continue. "And if you want a threesome," I say trying not to cringe. "I have to be part of it, and I have to pick the third person." His eyes go wide.

"Really?" He asks. "Cuz, last time I even mentioned it, you totally freaked out."

"Yeah, but I know you." I say as I sit up in bed. "You aren't gonna be satisfied with just me forever. I have to accept that." He sits up and cradles my face with both hands.

"You don't have to just accept it, Shel." He says.

"Come on, Dean. A guy like you can't just quit everything cold turkey." I smile at him.

"Maybe, but a girl like you makes a guy like me rethink what he's doing with his life." He says. I see in his eyes that he's completely serious. "I mean, you were gonna have my kid. What else could I ask for in the woman of my dreams?" I look over at his bag and see a magazine of 'Busty Asian Beauties' sticking out of the opening.

"I don't know, maybe someone more Asian and top heavy?" I ask, still looking at the magazine peeking out of his bag. He follows my line of sight and hops out of bed. He snatches the magazine out of his bag and leaves the room. I watch the closed door in confusion. He left? What the heck? Why did he just leave without putting pants on? He comes back in the room pretty quickly. "What was that all about?"

"I gifted my skin mags to Sammy." He states. I laugh.

"Why?" I ask him.

"Because I don't need them anymore."

"Why would you ever need them, you could get whoever you wanted at a nearby bar." I laugh out.

"I already have who I want." He says as he joins me on the bed again. He pulls me into a deep, loving, and long kiss. I can't help but give in. He's too good at this. Soon, we're in a full-blown make out, our tongues dancing and fighting for dominance. As we break apart to catch our breath I lay back down on the bed. He straddles my legs as he dives in to continue our kiss. Nothing is going through my mind but how his lips feel on mine.

Those lips of his leave mine and move to my jaw. He kisses all the way up to my ear, and I can't seem to catch my breath. I haven't felt like this since the last time we were together. I haven't really let anyone near me like this since then either. He stars kissing, licking, biting, down my neck. Once he gets to the spot where my neck meets my shoulder my breath hitches. I feel him smile against my skin.

I feel him grab the hem of my tank top and starts sliding it up my body. He sits me up slightly and I help him pull the fabric over my head. I laugh as he tosses it to the floor. His lips crash down on mine again as he lightly slides his hands from my hips to the bottom of my ribcage. I'm not embarrassed to be topless with him. I've been in this situation with him before. His touch brings goose bumps to my skin as I moan into the kiss.

His lips release mine and make their way to my collarbone. They travel down between my breasts and my breath hitches once again. My C cups have never been a problem for Dean. At least, he hasn't said anything to me about them not being good enough. Why try to fix what isn't broken? His hands cup and start massaging them lightly. It feels so good I let out another soft moan. He licks and kisses each of my breasts before continuing to work his way down to my naval. As his hands release my breasts, my own hands automatically replace them.

Dean makes eye contact with me as his lips ghost over the skin just above the waistband of my pajama pants. I bite my bottom lip and lift up my hips. He pulls the waistband down, and sits up to take them completely off my legs. He throws my pants to the floor. The only things left between us are my panties and his boxers. He looks back at me and stops. Both of us are breathing heavy as he just stares at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. My question knocks him out of his daze.

"Nothin'." He breathes. "I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life." He leans down and plants another kiss on my lips. "Now, let's shed the layers between us and make love 'til the break o' dawn." I laugh at his words and he gets off the bed to take his boxers off. I lift my hips up and slide my own panties off. I use them like a slingshot and shoot them at him. He catches them before they hit his face. "Nice aim, babe." He says. He tosses my panties to the floor and steps out of his boxers. I can't help but lick my lips as my gaze falls upon his member.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm. It is good to see you again, sex pistol." I say.

"He's cocked and loaded, baby." He says with a smirk. I laugh as he jumps onto the bed. His lips attack mine again. Geeze, what is with all this kissing? He makes his way down my chest and to my naval again. He stops again. "Hold up." He rolls off of me and gets off the bed.

"What?" I ask, starting to get a bit irritated. He searches through his bag and pulls out his wallet. He opens the wallet and bulls out a couple small packages. He tosses the wallet back in the bag and comes over to the bed again. He sits on the edge of the bed, facing away from me. He sets one of the square packets on the nightstand and opens the other one with his teeth. He takes out the contents and I smile.

"Gotta be safe, babe." He says as he slips it over his member. I get up on my knees and drape my arms around his shoulders. "I'd love for us to be parents, but…"

"I know, baby." I whisper in his ear. I kiss the skin just behind his right ear, and I hear a moan come from his lips. I can tell he was trying to hold it in as I kiss down his neck. As I make it to his right shoulder he turns around and tackles me to the bed. His arms are holding him above me with his hands resting on the bed on either side of my head.

"You don't know what you do to me, Shel." He says, breathing heavily.

"Maybe I do." I say as I bite my bottom lip again. He smirks at me as he spreads my legs. He takes my left leg and starts kissing the inside of my thigh. He works his way up from my knee, and as he gets closer to my core I can't help but let out a light moan. We make eye contact as he spreads my lips down below with his fingers. I grip the sheets at the action. We don't break eye contact as he licks my clit. I moan a bit louder than before.

As his talented tongue continues its work I can't resist the urge to throw my head back into the pillows. It doesn't take long for the fire in my belly to ignite. I am so close to the edge when he stops his ministrations. I try to catch my breath as he softly kisses his way up my stomach and chest. His lips meet mine once again, and I can taste myself. The fire calms down only a small amount before I feel his fingers at my opening. He slips one in and I moan into the kiss. He moves it in and out and I start moving my hips to meet his fingers. As he slips a second finger in our kiss breaks and I moan out loud.

"Dean." I moan his name as he starts kissing, licking, and biting at my neck. I am almost at the edge once again, when he pulls his fingers from me. I whimper at the loss. He sits up, between my legs and licks the fingers that had been inside me. "Isn't that gross?" I ask him between breaths.

"I don't know, it tastes kinda sweet to me." He says. It seems like he's taking forever to get back to me.

"Dean." I say.

"Yeah?" He says looking into my deep navy blue eyes.

"I need you." I whimper. He smiles and leans over me to whisper in my ear.

"What do you need me for, babe?" He teases.

"I need you inside me." I lick my lips as he pulls back to look me in the eye again.

"As you wish." He says. He sits back on his knees to line himself up with my entrance. I link my legs around him. He leans forward to kiss me again as he thrusts into me. I moan into the kiss. He doesn't move the lower half of his body as he waits for me to adjust to him. I feel a tear escape my eye. He sees this and kisses it away. "You okay?" He asks.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I say. I wait another moment before I move my hips to let him know I'm ready. He kisses my neck as he pulls out and thrusts back in. It is the best feeling I have ever felt in my life. "Oh, Dean." I moan out loud. "Dean." Again. "Oh, yeah!" Again. "Oh, God!" And again. Louder and louder.

"That's my girl." He moans in my ear. "Say my name again."

"Dean." I moan. Following his orders. Our hips meet over and over again as the fire in my belly burns hotter than it did before. I feel like I'm about to explode. "I'm gonna, I'm gonna…" I try to say.

"I know, baby, me too." He says in my ear. Two more thrusts and both of us are riding out the explosion of ecstasy. The euphoric feeling blinds me as I completely relax into the bedding. I feel Dean's sex pistol leave me, and I whimper. He rolls onto his back next to me. "Wow." I hear him say as the room comes back into focus. I turn my head to look at him. "I forgot how good it feels when I'm with you." He says. I chuckle as I catch my breath.

"I was just about to say the same thing, gun slinger." He laughs and pulls the covers over us. He pulls me to him, and I end up half on top of him as our legs intertwine beneath the sheets.

"Good night." He says as he kisses the top of my head, resting on his chest.

"Night." I muster before I slip into a deep sleep.

A/N: So, what do you guys think? This is my first ever attempt at writing a sex scene. I hope it was okay. I would love to know what you think of this chapter and of the story so far. I love reading reviews. Also, I was gonna have them say that they love each other before going to sleep, but the relationship they have in my head doesn't need those words to be said out loud all the time.


	9. Provenance

A/N: Thank you for reading this story. I know I haven't updated in a while. I wanna thank Black Dragon 42 for their reviews. They motivated me to finish this chapter. I just want to say that I recently got really into Teen Wolf. I even started a story for that show. That means I probably won't be doing any more of this story until I'm done with the last season of Teen Wolf. The last half of the season starts in a coupe weeks, so that at least gives you a sort of time table. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope you feel motivated enough to leave a review. I love reading them.

The next morning, we wake up to a banging on the door. I open my eyes and notice that we've changed to a spooning position. I'm the little spoon. As my eyes start to focus my ears pick up something else.

"Hey, guys. It's time to get up." I hear Sam's voice. I groan.

"Dean." I whisper. I hear him groan in my ear.

"Come on guys." Sam says, still banging on the door. "I have breakfast."

"Baby," I try to wake Dean again. "Go let Sammy in." I feel him move his head and kiss the back of my neck.

"And let him see you all exposed?" He whispers in his deep, husky, morning voice.

"I'll take my clothes into the bathroom. I need to take a shower anyway."

"Fine." He groans. I sit up in bed, taking the sheet with me. As I get some clean clothes from my bag Dean puts his boxers and a pair of jeans on. I head to the bathroom when he heads to the door to let Sammy in.

Once I close the door to the bathroom I drop the sheet around me. I turn the shower on, and I step in when it's warm enough. I let the warm water wash away the sweat from last night. I think about what happened and smile. God, he's the best sex I've ever had. I know that seems cliché, but it's true. When we were dating on and off I tried to go with some other guys, and they never lived up to Dean. And that's in body and personality.

I wash my hair and body before turning the water off. I get out and dry myself off with a towel before getting dressed. I wrap my hair in the towel and walk out of the bathroom, dragging the sheet behind me.

"Hey," I hear Dean say with a mouth full of food. "You want a donut?" He asks, holding out the box to me.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting." I laugh at him. I grab a donut from the box as I drop the sheet. Sam holds out a cup of coffee to me, and I take it gratefully. "So," I say as I finish my donut. "Where are we heading?" I take a sip of coffee and look between the two in front of me.

"Well last night, while trying to ignore the sounds coming through the walls," Dean smiles at me. I smile back as Sam continues. "I was looking through a few newspapers."

"And?" I ask, taking another donut from the box, now on the table. He tosses a newspaper at Dean, who catches it.

"Mark and Ann Telesca of New Paltz, New York were both found dead in their own home, a few days ago." Sam starts. Dean pulls me into his lap and we look at the article together. "Throats were slit. There were no prints, no murder weapons, all doors and window locked from the inside."

"Could just be a garden variety murder you know, not our department." Dean states as he steals the donut in my hand and takes a bite.

"No. Dad says different." Sam says.

"What do you mean?" I ask. He opens John's journal and hands it to me. I look at the pages as Sam explains.

"Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York. First one here in 1912," Sam says pointing to the notes. "Second one in 1945, and the third in 1970, the same M.O. as the Telescas. Their throats were slit; doors were locked from the inside. Now so much time had passed between murders that nobody checked the pattern, except Dad. He kept his eyes peeled for another one."

"And now we got one." Dean says.

"Exactly." Sam says.

"All right, I'm with ya. It's worth checking out." Dean says.

"Speaking of. When's check out again?" I ask, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Noon, I think." Sam answers. I grab Dean's left arm and look at the time displayed on his watch.

"It's a little after eleven." I say. I drop Dean's arm and stand from his lap. "We should get going." I put down my coffee and lean forward to unwrap my hair. I dry my hair as much as possible before standing up and throwing the towel to the ground. I look for my bag, but notice that Dean had been staring at my ass. "Put your eyes back in your head, Big Boy." I smile at him. I dig through my bag for my hairbrush, and head to the bathroom mirror after finding it. I quickly brush my hair and put it into a half-up-half-down hairdo.

"I'm gonna head back to my room and pack up." I hear Sam say. "I'll meet you guys at the car."

"Yup." Dean says. He joins me in the bathroom with his toothbrush and toothpaste. He also has my toothbrush. "Might need this." He says. I smile and take it from him. He hands me the tube of toothpaste after he's done with it, and we spend about two minutes cleaning our pearly whites. I mean, we have to take care of our teeth, it's not like we go to the dentist. Once done with that, we double-check the entire room to make sure we don't leave clothes or books.

"I think we're all set." I say as I stand from checking under the bed. Who knows where we could've thrown our clothes last night? Well, I head over to my bag, zip it up, and pick it up before meeting Dean at the door. As I pass by, he steals a deep kiss from me. It makes me giggle. "Alright, calm your sex pistol." I say as I walk out of the room and down to the car.

"He's as calm as he can be, babe." Dean says, a big smile plastered on his face. We get to the car, and pack our bags in the trunk before checking out of our rooms and heading out on the road to our next case. As we get closer to our destination I ask Sam a question.

"Did you check out the history of the house they were living in?"

"Yeah." Sam answers. "There' nothing strange about the house or the Telescas."

"All right, so if it's not the people and it's not the house, then maybe it's the contents." Dean says from the Driver's seat.

"Like a cursed object?" I ask.

"We'll have to check it once we get there." Sam answers. We arrive at the house and park outside. All of us get out and head inside. The boys pull out their EMF detectors as I walk around looking for an item that could be cursing the place. It's weird. There is absolutely nothing here, no furniture, no cooking utensils, no dishes or glasses in the cabinets. It's almost like no one ever lived here.

"Umm, guys where's all their stuff?" I ask from the kitchen. They soon join me, telling me that the EMF's didn't pick up anything strange. "Well, if there's a cursed object it's gonna be with all their other things."

"Right." Dean says. "But where are their things?" He asks as we exit the house.

"Excuse me?" A voice says in front of us. It's a woman in a nice blazer and patching pencil skirt with a white shirt. "I'm the realtor for this house. What can I help you with?"

"Umm." I say trying to stall to think of something. "Yes," I grab Dean's arm. "I'm Shelby, I was a college friend of Ann Telesca. This is my boyfriend, Dean, and his brother Sam." I introduce us. "I heard about the horrible news and wanted to see if I could get something of hers to remember her and Mark by." I put on a sympathetic expression.

"Oh, well, umm. Their things were sent to the auction house." The woman informs us.

"Could you point us in the right direction?" I ask.

"Sure." The woman ends up giving us directions to the auction house, and we thank her before driving there.

"That was some convincing acting, babe." Dean says as we get out of the Impala at the auction house.

"Why thank you." I say with a slight bow. "I learned from the best."

"Me?" He asks.

"No." I say, laughing. "My dad." Sam joins me in the laughing as we head inside. We've calmed down by the time we reach the door. We walk in and look around at all the interesting and ornate pieces labeled with item numbers. "Wow." I say in awe. "There are so many gorgeous pieces."

"We have to try and find the items from the Telesca's house, Shel." Sam says, trying to focus me.

"Consignment auctions, estate sales. Looks like a garage sale for Wasps if you ask me." Dean states as he looks through the food items on a nearby table. He grabs a few little snacks from the table and off a tray of a man walking around.

"Can I help you miss, and gentlemen?" A man's voice says behind us. We turn to look at an older man in a nice suit. He looks at Dean and his mouth full of food. I roll my eyes at the man I call a boyfriend.

"I'd like some champagne please." Dean asks in a mock posh voice.

"What did I tell you about talking with your mouth full?" I whisper harshly at him.

"And, he's not a waiter." Sam adds. Dean seems to brush it off a bit as Sam introduces himself to the man. "I'm Sam Connors." He puts out his hand for the man to shake, but he's left hanging. Sam continues to introduce the rest of us. "That's my brother Dean, and his girlfriend Shelby." He gestures to each of us. "Hopefully more than that soon." I hear him whisper under his breath. Both Dean and I shoot glares his way. "We're art dealers, with Connors Limited."

"You're art dealers?" He asks, not believing a word. I don't blame 'im. We aren't exactly dressed the part.

"That's right." I say, smiling at the man.

"I'm Daniel Blake, this is my auction house." The man informs us. "Now gentlemen and miss this is a private showing, and I don't remember seeing you on the guest list." He doesn't seem amused at our being here. Sam seems to get a bit nervous as Dean pipes up.

"We're there chuckles, you just need to take another look." I lightly jab him in the gut with my elbow. Not enough to double him over, but enough to stop him from continuing. I guess he never learned manners in his life. We see a waiter go by with glasses of champagne. "Oh. Finally." He says, grabbing a glass from the waiter's tray. He sniffs the glass, and raises his eyebrows at the man. I pull him away form the owner of this business. Sam will be much more successful on his own.

"What was that?" I ask him seriously.

"What?" He asks, sipping the champagne.

"You can't even act like you have some sort of class stuffed in that gorgeous body of yours?" I ask. "This is why I didn't say I learned my acting skills from you."

"Ouch." He says. Both of us turn to the items around us. "So, do you think Sammy wants a sister-in-law? Or was that just part of his act?"

"I don't know." I answer. "Maybe a bit of both."

"Hey," Sam says, coming up behind us. "He's gonna let us look around for a bit."

"Cool." I reply as I look around at the items up for auction. We look through drawers and cabinets. Suddenly, I come to a large portrait of a family. I stand in front of it, and wonder what the meaning of the father looking to the daughter was supposed to mean. The guys walk up behind me. "This looks so creepy." I state.

"Agreed." The boys say simultaneously.

"A fine example of American Primitive wouldn't you say?" A woman's voice says behind us. All three of us look to the woman walking down the spiral staircase behind us. She's dressed in a classy, sleek, black dress. Sam looks back at the painting as Dean continues ogling the woman. He slaps Sam on the back, and I roll my eyes at his actions.

"Well I'd say it's more Grant Wood than Grandma Moses." Sam answers the woman. "But you knew that, you just wanted to see if I did."

"Guilty." She states with a smile. "And clumsy. I apologize." I watch as Dean grabs some more snacks from a waiter's tray. "I'm Sarah Blake." He shoves a whole mini-quiche in his mouth as Sam introduces us.

"I'm Sam. This is my..." He finally sees Dean with his mouth full once again. "Brother, Dean."

"And, sadly I'm Dean's girlfriend." I say with a smile.

"Dean." Sarah says to the person that goes with the name. "Can we get you some more mini-quiche?" I look at Dean's hands and notice two more there.

"No, he's good." I say harshly as I grab one of them from his hand. He looks at me and I glare at him. Sarah turns her attention back to Sam.

"So, can I help you with something?" She asks.

"Yeah, actually." Sam says. "Um, what can you tell us about the Telesca estate?"

"The whole thing's pretty grisly if you ask me, selling your things this soon. But Dad's right about one thing, sensationalism brings out the crowds." She answers. "Even the rich ones." She doesn't break eye contact with Sam, and Sam is the same with her. Dean and I look between the two, feeling a bit awkward.

"Is it possible to see the provenances?" Sam asks her. She goes to answer when the man from before walks over.

"I'm afraid there isn't any chance of that." The man says.

"Why not?" Sam asks.

"You're not on the guest list." He says, looking at Sam. Then he snaps his view to Dean and I. "And I think it's time to leave."

"Well we don't have to be told twice." Dean says in a faux posh voice again.

"Apparently you do." The man says sternly.

"Okay. It's all right." Sam says. "We don't want any trouble. We'll go." I grab Dean's arm again, and pull him towards the exit. He tries to grab some more food, but I slap his hand away from the trays.

"You've had enough." Dean rolls his eyes at my words as we walk out to the car. We get in the car and head to a local motel. We check in and head to our room to try and figure this out.

"Grant Wood, Grandma Moses?" Dean asks Sam as we head to our one room with two beds.

"Art history course. It's good for meeting girls." Sam answers him.

"It's like I don't even know you." Dean says as he unlocks the door and we head inside. We stop to look at the room after closing the door. It's so over the top retro 70s vibe is throwing me and the boys off a little. I think I visibly shiver as I see the tiny disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

"Ugh." I groan as the boys say 'huh' simultaneously. They walk forward and call beds. I just stand there in some form of shock.

"What's wrong, babe? Not diggin' the groovy vide?" Dean laughs at me. I glare at him.

"No." I say as I throw my bag on a nearby chair. He continues to chuckle as he starts asking Sam questions.

"Now, what was the providence?" Dean asks.

"Prov-e-nance." I sound out the word to him. " It's an N not a D."

"Yeah, anyway, it's a certificate of origin, like a biography, you know. We can use them to check the history of the pieces, see if any of them have a freaky past." Sam explains. I watch as they both start unpacking. I just walk over and sit on the bed Dean's things are on.

"Huh. Well, we're not getting anything out of chuckles, but uh Sarah..." Dean says, snapping his fingers and pointing to his brother.

"Yeah, maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin." Sam suggests.

"I don't know about that, Sammy." I smile at him. "She looked like she was really into you." He smiles at me before denying my comment.

"No, no, no. Pick ups are his thing." Sam deflects.

"It wasn't my butt she was checking out." Dean says. Sam looks up and pauses before speaking in response.

"In other words, you want me to use her to get information."

"Sometimes you gotta take one for the team." Dean says.

"How come Shel doesn't have to seduce information out of anyone?" Sam asks.

"Don't be a child." I say. "If she had been checking me out, it would've been me in your place, but it's you Sammy." I smirk at him. I look over at Dean and I can tell he's thinking about what I just said. "Get your mind outta the gutter, short stuff."

"I'm not short." He defends.

"Compared to me, you're not, but Sammy's got you by about a head." I take out my phone and hand it to Sam. "You should call 'er. Go out to a really nice place for dinner, maybe a movie?"

"Alright, fine." Sam says snatching the phone from my hands. He dials her number and walks outside the room to talk on the phone.

"So," Dean says, getting my attention. "Would you really 'ave gone out with the girl?" He asks me.

"Sure, if I needed information from 'er." I say, laying back on the bed.

"Mmm."

"Can you not be a perv?" I giggle.

"I'm sorry, but this is kinda what you signed up for, pretty lady." He says, leaning down to meet me in a short peck on the lips. A minute passes and Sam comes back in. He tells us that he's going out with her tonight. As he gets ready I see him fuss over what he's planning to wear.

"He, hey, hey, calm down." I say, pushing him to sit on the bed. "I will pick out something for you to wear, kiddo." I say as I ruffle his hair. I go to his bag and search for his nicer clothing. I find a nice black blazer, some black slacks, and a simple white button-up shirt. "Okay," I say, holding the pieces of clothing out to him. "Put these on." He takes them from me, and he heads into the bathroom. A few minutes go by before the younger Winchester emerges from the bathroom.

"So," He says. "How do I look?" He asks. I look at the outfit and gesture for him to turn around.

"I think you look very nice." I say as he turns to face Dean and I again. "Go get 'er tiger." I say. He shoots a smile my way and heads out to have dinner with a pretty lady.

"Hey." Dean says from behind me on the bed. He's been lying there since Sam went into the bathroom to change. I turn to him as he continues to speak. "You getting' hungry?" He asks me.

"Yeah." I answer as I lay down next to him. "What were you thinking of eating?" Stupid question.

"Bacon cheeseburger." We both say at the same time. I giggle as he looks down at me.

"Am I that predictable?" he asks.

"One hundred percent, babe." I answer. "Well," I sit up and stand from the bed. "Let's go eat some cheap, greasy, fatty, food. I am starving."

"You're always starving." He says. "I don't think you really know what starving is." He jokes. Both of us laugh as we exit the room, and lock up before heading to the car to find a diner in town. We eventually find one and head inside and sit at a booth across from each other. A waitress comes over and hands us some menus. She throws a flirtatious smile at Dean, and he returns it.

"Um, could my boyfriend and I get a few beers?" I ask her. Her face falls a little. She nods and walks away to get our beverages. "Why didn't she think we were together?" I ask under my breath.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Shel." Dean answers. "I just throw off that bachelor vibe." He jokes trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah, well, try to reign it in a bit." I reply as I look through the items on the menu. I see that they have chicken and cheese quesadillas, and suddenly I am craving it like crazy. Usually I have a burger like Dean, but I can't ignore my cravings. The waitress comes back and sets two bottles of beer on the table.

"Have you decided on what you would like to eat?" She asks.

"Uh, yeah," Dean starts. "I'll have the double bacon cheeseburger, and she'll have…" He squints at me, trying to read my mind. "Two orders of the chicken quesadilla with extra sour cream." The waitress looks at me and I smile at her. She looks me up and down before writing on her notepad. She takes our menus and rolls her eyes as she walks to the back kitchen.

"You know me so well." I smile at him.

"Well, I gotta know how to keep my girl happy." He answers. We talk a bit about the case until our food comes. As we eat, we're silent; savoring the taste of the food. We finish, pay, and head back to the hotel room. As we take inventory of our weapons and ammo, Sam comes through the door. Sam changes into more comfortable clothes as he explains what he talked to Sarah about. I start cleaning one of the handguns as Dean starts sharpening one of his knives. "So she just handed the providences over to you?" Dean asks him.

"Provenances, Dean." I correct him. Sam rolls his eyes as he looks over the papers in his hands.

"Provenances?"

"Yes." I answer.

"We went back to her place, I got a copy of the papers..." Sam pauses, giving Dean enough time to pipe in.

"And?"

"And nothing. That's it. I left." Sam answers. Good on you Sam, but I'm sure Sarah wanted more.

"You didn't have to con her or do any...special favors or anything like that?" Dan asks. Sam is getting visually irritated now.

"Dean, would you get your mind out of the gutter, please?" Sam says.

"Yeah, Dean. Sarah seems like a respectable woman." I say with a smile. "But I totally think that she wanted to ride Sammy into the night." I laugh, and Dean joins in my laughter.

"Come on, guys." Sam says. Once our laughter stops Dean speaks up.

"You know when this whole thing's done, we could stick around for a little bit."

"Why?" Sam asks his brother.

"So you could take her out again. It's obvious you're into her, even I could see that." Dean states. I nod in agreement as I put my gun back together. It's nice and polished and clean now.

"Hey, alright, I think I got something here." Sam says. Dean stops sharpening the blade in his hand, and both of us stand on either side of the chair Sam is sitting in. He hands the papers to Dean, who reads it.

"Portrait of Isaiah Merchant's family, painted 1910."

"Now compare the names of the owners with Dad's journal." Sam points out. I go over to the small table with John's journal opened to the page in question. I sit in the chair and Dean stands next to me.

"First purchased in 1912, Peter Simms." Dean reads the provenances. I look at the page of the journal and point to the 1912 date.

"Peter Simms murdered 1912." I say out loud. This is creepy.

"1945?" Dean asks. My finger points to the description for the 1945 murder. "1970?" My finger moves again.

"Same thing." I say.

"After the last owner died it was stored, until it was donated to a charity auction last month. Where the Telescas bought it." Sam explains. "So what do you think, it's haunted? Or cursed?"

"Either way, it's toast." Dean says. Quickly we get ready to go to the auction house to burn the painting. It needs to be destroyed. Once we get to the building we hop the fence, disarm the alarm, pick the lock, and find the painting on the second floor. Dean cuts the canvas out of the frame and we leave as fast as possible. We drive to an abandoned area and burn it, Dean calling it an ugly painting. After it's turned to charcoal, we head back to the hotel. I fall asleep fast, wrapped in Dean's arms.

The next morning, as we're getting ready to leave when Dean starts frantically searching around the room for something.

"Hey, what're you looking for, babe?" I ask him.

"I can't find my wallet." Dean says, panicking a bit. Sam starts chuckling to himself. "This is your problem, too." He says pointing to his younger brother.

"How is that my problem?"

"Cause I think I dropped it in the warehouse last night." Dean answers.

"You've got to be kidding, babe." I say as he hurriedly puts his jacket over his other two layers of shirts.

"No. It's got my prints, my ID, well my fake ID anyway. We gotta get it before someone else finds it. Come on." He says quickly. We rush over to the auction house and look around for Dean's wallet.

"How do you lose your wallet, Dean?" Sam asks in a harsh whisper. Dean just shrugs as we continue to look around.

"Hey guys." I hear Sarah greet from behind us. We all turn around to face her. Dean leans casually on the object closest to him as Sam starts talking to Sarah.

"Sarah! Hey." Sam says. I look over at Dean and notice something in his pocket. I just look at him confused.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asks. Dean looks to me, realizing that I knew what he was doing. He holds up a finger to his lips, telling me to not say anything.

"Ahh, we..." Sam stumbles as he looks back at us for help. We shrug, causing him to turn back to Sarah. "We are leaving town and, you know, we came to say goodbye." Dean jumps up to the two, me close behind.

"What are you talking about Sam, we're sticking around for at least another day or two." Dean says. Sam shoots him a look of confusion as Dean reaches for the object in his back pocket. "Oh, Sam. By the way, I'm gonna go ahead and give you that $20 I owe you." I try not to laugh as Sam's expression changes to one of realization. Dean then turns to Sarah as he takes some cash out to give to Sam. "I always forget, you know." Sam looks to me and I shrug my shoulders. Dean holds the twenty-dollar bill out to his brother. "There you go." Sam takes the cash, shooting a glare at his brother.

"Well we'll leave you two crazy kids alone, we gotta go do something... somewhere." I say to Sarah with a smile. I grab Dean's arm and we head outside quickly. I sit on the trunk of the Impala and Dean stands between my legs. It doesn't take us long to start making out right there in the parking lot. Sam interrupted our fun almost running over to us.

"Guys, we got a problem." The young Winchester says, causing Dean and I to break apart. "Really?" He asks. "In the parking lot?" We try to catch our breath as Sam heads to the passenger seat. Dean pecks me on the lips one more time before helping me off the trunk. We get in the car and Sam explains what's going on. "The painting is in there."

"What?" Dean and I say simultaneously. Obviously he wouldn't lie to us about this.

"I don't understand. We burned the damn thing." Sam says

"Yeah, thank you Captain Obvious." Dean says a bit on edge.

"Calm down, all right?" I say as the level headed, and less panicky person here. "We just need to figure out another way to get rid of it."

"Any ideas?" Dean asks Sam and I.

"Okay, all right. Well, um, in almost all the lore about haunted paintings it's always the painting's subject that haunts 'em." Sam points out.

"Yeah." Dean says. "So we just need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family and that creepy-ass painting."

"What were their names again?" I ask.

"It's the Isaiah Merchant family." Sam answers.

"Alright, let's get to somewhere with some old books." I say. The boys nod and Dean drives us to a second hand bookstore. We walk in and ask the owner if there is anything that could help us with some research on the Isaiah Merchant family. He seems excited, and gets us some old dusty books to look through. He sets them on a table and dust plumes into the air.

"You said the Isaiah Merchant family right?" The man asks.

"Yeah." Sam answers. I see Dean flipping through an older book of guns.

"I dug up every scrap of local history I could find." The owner of the bookshop says. "So are you three crime buffs?" Dean looks to me, then Sam, before answering.

"Kinda. Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" The man holds up an old newspaper article and points to a small article on the side of the page. It's title reads: 'Father Slaughters Family, Kills Self.'

"Yes. Yeah, that sounds about right." Dean says.

"The whole family was killed?" Sam asks.

"It seems this Isaiah, he slits his kids' throats, then his wife, then himself. Now he was a barber by trade. Used a straight razor." The man explains.

"Why'd he do it?" I ask. The older man turns the page around so he could read the article.

"Let's look. Ahh…" The man says as he starts to read. "People who knew him describe Isaiah as having a stern and harsh temperament. Controlled his family with an iron fist. Wife, uh, two sons, adopted daughter..." As he reads the three of us share a look. "Yeah yeah yeah..." He says after skimming a bit. "There were whispers that the wife was gonna take the kids and leave." Ooo, harsh. "Which of course you know in that day and age, um," He tries to explain the obvious. "So instead, old man Isaiah...well he gave them all a shave." The older man smiles and makes a cutting motion across his neck. Dean smiles along, but Sam and I shoot him looks telling him to stop. Dean's face becomes a bit more serious as he turns back to the older man.

"Does it say what happened to the bodies?" Dean asks.

"Just that they were all cremated." The man answers with a straight face. The three of us share a look.

"Anything else?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. Actually," The man says as he grabs a book from the table. "I found a picture of the family. It's right here... somewhere. Right," He opens the book to a marked page and turns it around so we can see it. "Here it is." I take in the photo and realize that it's not how the one I've seen in person looks. In this one the man is looking straight ahead and not at the girl next to him. What is going on?

"Hey, could we get a copy of this please?" Sam asks. He must've seen what I saw.

"Sure." The man answers and walks away to make a copy of the page with the picture of the painting. He gets back with the copy and we head back to the hotel. On the way Sam and I try to convince Dean that the painting is different from what it originally was. We get into the room and Sam shows him the copy of the original portrait we received from the older man.

"I'm telling you man, I'm sure of it. The painting at the auction house, Dad is looking down. Painting here, Dad's looking out. The painting has changed, Dean." Sam insists.

"All right, so you think that Daddy dearest is trapped in the painting and is handing out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?" Dean asks.

"Yes." Sam and I say at the same time.

"That's what it seems like anyway." I add.

"But if his bones are already dusted then how are we gonna stop him?" Sam asks.

"All right, well," Dean says, taking a closer look at the picture. "If Isaiah's position changed then maybe some other things in the painting changed as well. You know it could give us some clues."

"What, like a Da Vinci Code deal?" Sam asks. Dean looks at Sam. He has no clue what Sam is talking about.

"Yes, Sammy." I answer. "He's still waiting for the movie." I comment.

"Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting." Dean says. "Which is a good thing cause you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend." He says as he stands from the small table and walks over to the bed on the right and sits, leaning against the pillows and headboard. He gestures for me to join him as Sam speaks.

"Dude. Enough already." I stand from my seat and head over to the bed.

"What?" Dean asks as he crosses his legs. I sit next to him and wrap my right arm around his left arm.

"What? Ever since we got here, you been trying to pimp me out to Sarah." Sam says, irritated. "Just back off, all right?"

"Well, you like 'er don't you?" Dean asks. Sam just shakes his head and looks to the ceiling. "All right, you like her, she likes you, you're both consenting adults..."

"What's the point, Dean?" Sam's voice rising a bit. "We'll just leave. We always leave.

"Well I'm not talking about marriage, Sam." Dean defends

"You know, I don't get it. What do you care if I hook up?" Sam's agitation clear in his voice.

"Cause then maybe you wouldn't be so cranky all the time." Dean states simply.

"Dean, stop." I say, trying not to laugh. "Sam can do whatever he wants, and you don't have to help anything along."

"Thank you." Sam says.

"But, Sammy, maybe Sarah could be good for you." I say as I sit up. Sam just stays quiet as he scratches his head. "And... I don't mean any disrespect but I'm sure this is about Jessica, right?" He still refuses to speak. "I would think that she would want you to be happy." I say in a soft voice. I see the tears are building up in his eyes.

"God forbid have fun once in a while." Dean says. I hold up a hand to tell him to stop talking. "Wouldn't she?" He asks anyway.

"Yeah I know she would." Sam whispers softly. He thinks about it before letting out a breath. "Yeah you're right. Part of this is about Jessica." He admits. "But not the main part."

"What's it about?" Dean asks. Sam doesn't answer. "Yeah all right." He lies back in the bed and crosses his arms. "Well we still gotta see that painting, which means you still gotta call Sarah, so..." He hints at Sam needing to call the woman. Sam picks up his phone and calls Sarah. I lay back down with Dean as Sam clears his throat and takes a breath. I snuggle closer to Dean and rest my eyes as Sam starts to talk.

"Sarah, hey, it's Sam…Hey, hi…Good. Good, yeah. Umm. What about you?" We can only hear one side of the conversation. "Yeah good, good, really good…"

"Smooth." Dean whispers across the room to Sam as I giggle a little.

"So, ah, so listen. Me, my brother, and Shelby were...uh...thinking that maybe we'd like to come back in and look at the painting again. I... I think maybe we are interested in buying it." Sam pauses for Sarah to speak. "What!?" His tone of voice changed and I can hear him stand from his seat. I open my eyes and sit up, as does Dean. "Who'd you sell it to?" Sam asks her as he stands from his chair. "Sarah I need an address right now." He hangs up after a pause, and the three of us rush to the address given. We pull into the driveway and Sam gets out before Dean is even able to park the car. Once the car is off, Dean and I meet Sam and Sarah by her car.

"Sam, what's happening?" Sarah asks. Her voice is filled with worry.

"I told you, you shouldn't have come." Sam answers her as he walks past her. The brothers and I run up the front steps, Sarah on our heels. The boys bang on the door and try to get someone to answer the door.

"You said Evelyn might be in danger, what sort of danger?" The woman says as she stands next to me. I decide to try and look through the front window. They're barred and the curtains were drawn closed.

"I can't knock this sucker down. I gotta pick it." I hear Dean say. Sam comes up next to me and both of us are banging on the window, hoping someone will come and see what the noise is.

"What are you guys, burglars?" Sarah asks.

"If only it were that simple." I say as Sam and I stop banging on the window and head back to the door.

"Look you really should wait in the car. It's for your own good." Sam tells her. Finally Dean picks the lock and we are able to get inside.

"The hell I will. Evelyn's a friend." Sarah replies as she follows us inside. We all try to call out for the woman, but there is no answer. We walk into a sitting room. A woman sits in a fancy armchair, but something's not right. She's too still. I don't even think she's breathing. "Evelyn?" Sarah says as she walks up to the very still woman. I look up at the painting, already hanging in the room. Sam and I were right. The man was facing the girl and not out at the viewer. "It's Sarah Blake... Are you alright?" The woman reaches out to touch the shoulder of her friend.

"Sarah, don't." Sam protests, but it's too late. As soon as she makes contact the older dead woman's head moves to reveal a large gash on her neck. In fact, that is an understatement. The cut went about half way through the poor woman's neck. Sarah screams, and Sam tries to keep her from falling to the ground. She looks up at the painting and the man's image changed. He is now looking to us. Her scream intensifies. Sam leads her out of the house. I let out a breath and look to Dean. He comes over to me and puts an arm around my shoulder as we walk out together.

We get in the Impala and wait for Sam to finish his conversation with Sarah. Once he sits in the car and shuts his door he tells us that she's gonna call the cops once we're gone. Then, she's gonna meet us at our motel room after she's done talking with the authorities. So, we head back to our motel and do some research. Sam paces the room, waiting for Sarah to arrive. I look through some of the books we have, making sure we know how to defeat this thing. And Dean is looking up the history of the family and figuring out where the family was put to rest. A couple hours go by before a knock is heard on the door. All of us look up as Sam answers the door.

"Hey." He says as Sarah storms past him, into the room. "You alright?"

"No, actually," She says as she gets to the center of the room and turns to Sam. "I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's, alone, and found her like that." Sam walks over and stands in front of Dean. Sarah looks between all three of us. I look to Dean. He's smiling as he looks between Sam and Sarah.

"Thank you." Sam says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Don't thank me, I'm about to call them right back if you don't tell me what the hell's going on." She threatens. "Who's killing these people?" The three of us share a look, trying to decide if we should really tell her. I shrug my shoulders and Dean raises his eyebrows. Sam turns back to Sarah.

"What." Sam says.

"What?" Sam asks, confused.

"It's not 'who'. It's 'what' is killing those people." Sam clarifies. Sarah still seems confused. "Sarah, you saw that painting move."

"No...No I was...I was seeing things. It's impossible." She second-guesses what her own eyes saw as she paces in a small circle.

"Yeah well, welcome to our world." Dean says. Sarah looks to him, then to me. I nod, telling her that it's true.

"Sarah, I know this sounds crazy." Sam says to Sarah. She turns back to him as he continues to speak. "But we think that that painting is haunted." I can tell she still doesn't believe us.

"You're joking." She says. Her voice is slightly wavering. She looks at Sam, then Dean, then me. All of us just look at her with serious expressions. "You're not joking." She sighs in realization. "God, the guys I go out with."

"Sarah, think about it. Evelyn, the Telesca's," Sam says, naming off the owners of the painting as he counts them on his fingers. "They both had the painting. And there have been others before that. Wherever this thing goes people die. And we're just trying to stop it." Sam explains. "And that's the truth." Sarah takes a breath before saying anything.

"Then I guess you'd better show me. I'm coming with you." She says, now determined to help us. That seemed too easy for some reason.

"What?" I ask.

"No. Sarah no, you should just go home. This stuff can get dangerous and" Sam says. He pauses thinking about how to say the next thing in the right way. "And I don't want you to get hurt." Aww, Sammy cares for her. I get off the bed and head over to see if Dean was getting anywhere with his research.

"Look, you guys are probably crazy," Sarah starts. "But if you're right about this? Well me and my Dad sold that painting that mighta got these people killed." I finally make it over to Dean and I look over his shoulder at the screen. I put my hands on his shoulders and gently massage away some of his stress. "Look I'm not saying I'm not scared because I am scared as hell but...I'm not going to run and hide either." I like her. Sarah goes over to the door and opens it, looking back at us. "So are we going or what?" With that she walks out. I giggle before kissing the top of dean's head. I walk over to get my jacket as Dean speaks.

"Sam?" Dean gets his brother's attention. "Marry that girl." He says, pointing to the door the girl just left through.

"I have to agree." I say. "I like her." Eventually we all head back to Evelyn's house. We need to figure out how to stop this painting from killing people. As Sam picks the lock, Sarah speaks.

"Ahhh... isn't this a crime scene?" She asks.

"You've already lied to the cops." Dean answers as he pulls a box cutter from his jacket. "What's another infraction?" He cuts the police tape on the door as Sam finishes with the lock. We all walk in and head to the room with the painting. Sam takes it from the wall and props it on the couch. He takes a closer look, trying to figure out what other things could be different from how the painting was originally. I look to Sarah as she looks around nervously. All of us are so quiet we can hear the clock in the room tick clearly.

"Aren't you worried that it's...gonna kill us?" Sarah asks.

"Nah, it seems to do its thing at night." Sam answers, looking to her then back at the painting. "I think we're all right in the daylight." I look at the photocopy of what the painting was originally, the paper in Dean's hands. I notice something a bit off in the bottom left corner. I point it out to Dean and he speaks.

"Sam, check it out." Dean says, handing the paper to Sam. "The razor, it's closed in this one but it's open in that one." Sam double-checks what we've found.

"What are you guys looking for?" Sarah asks yet another question.

"Well if the spirit's changing details in the painting, maybe it's doing so for a reason." I answer her.

"Hey, hey look at this." Sam says. He points to the top right corner of the painting. "The painting in the painting." Dean walks closer as I stay back with Sarah.

"Looks like a crypt, or a mausoleum or something." Dean says. He looks around as Sam grunts in agreement. He points to a coffee table behind me. "Shel, hand me that ashtray."

"What's the magic word?" I tease.

"Really?" He looks a bit irritated, but as he makes eye contact with me he sighs. "Fine. Please, pass me the ashtray?" He holds out his hand, and I place the glass in aforementioned hand. He then holds it up to the painting in the painting to read the name on the mausoleum. "Merchant." He says. With that information we head to search the local cemeteries to find this crypt. The first two were duds; so as we are halfway through searching the third one Dean pipes up to voice his doubts about this lead. "This is the third bone yard we've checked. I think this ghost is jerking us around."

"Stop whining, babe. It wouldn't just lead us around for no reason." I say, walking next to him. He chuckles at my optimism and puts an arm around my shoulders.

"So this is what you guys do for a living?" I hear Sarah ask Sam as they walk behind us.

"Not exactly." Sam answers.

"Yeah, we don't get paid." I say loud enough for them to hear.

"Well, Mazel tov." She says. Dean slows his walking, and I look ahead to see exactly what we were looking for.

"I told you." I say in Dean's ear.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He says to me. "Over there." He says loud enough for Sam and Sarah to hear. As we walk closer to the mausoleum, Dean unwraps his arm from my shoulders and starts breaking the lock. Once the lock is dealt with, we open the door and head inside. I see the cobwebs and step back, behind Sarah. The boys look at me and they seem confused. "What's wrong with you?" Dean chuckles.

"I see you forgot that I don't do bugs, insects, arachnids, etcetera." I say, crossing my arms in front of me. They roll their eyes and clear the cobwebs as they walk inside. Sarah soon follows. I stand at the doorway as the three of them look around. Sarah walks over to a display on the far end of the room

"Okay, that right there," She says. "Is the creepiest things I've ever seen."

"It was a... sort of tradition at the time." Sam comments. "Whenever a child died sometimes they'd preserve the kid's favorite toy in a glass case, put it next to the headstone or crypt." A strong wind blows against me, almost wanting to push me inside the crowded small room. There are probably a ton of bugs hiding out in there.

"You notice anything strange here?" Dean asks. I look to the urns and realize that there are only four of them.

"Ah...where do I start?" Sarah comments.

"That's not what he means." I say from the doorway. They turn to me. "There are only four urns displayed." Sarah and Sam look to the creepy displays.

"Mom and the three kids." Sam comments.

"Daddy dearest isn't here." Dean says.

"So, where is he?" Sam asks.

"I guess we have to figure that out." I say. "Now can we get outta here?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, ya big scaredy cat." Dean says as he comes out of the mausoleum. He grabs me around the waist, and pulls me close, as we walk back to the car. He kisses the top of my head before releasing me. We get in the car and wait for Sam and Sarah. Then we drive into town. Dean parks in front of the town hall and heads inside to find the death certificate. Sarah and Sam get out and sit on a nearby wall.

I decide to try and get a little nap in as I lay down in the back seat of the Impala. As I fall asleep I start to feel very warm. The warmth becomes scalding. I feel like my skin is burning off. I open my eyes to see nothing but bright flames surrounding me. I try to escape the blaze, but it just gets hotter if I try to move at all. I start to scream for help with the rest of the voices I can barely hear over my own. I feel something stab into my side. Blood runs from the wound.

"Shelby?" A soft almost feminine voice echoes as it calls out to me. "Shelby." The voice becomes more masculine. "Shelby!" The voice is clear now. It's a voice I could listen to forever. I take in a sharp breath as I wake up. My eyes snap open to see Dean hovering above me "Hey, hey, it's just a dream." I continue to breathe heavily as I sit up, Dean pulls back so I can do so. He reaches towards my face and wipes his thumb across my cheek. I reach up and wipe away the rest of the sweat and tears from my face. Dean looks concerned.

"I'm fine." I wave him off as my breathing returns to normal. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" He asks.

"Yeah. I'm good. Like you said, it was just a dream." Am I trying to convince him or myself? What was that place? Hell? Was it just something from my imagination? No, I could never come up with something so cruel and terrifying. I would never wish it on my worst enemy. "So, what'd you find out?" I ask him.

"Long story short, he was buried in a pine box." He tells me. His expression relaxes, but I can still see a hint of concern in the curve of his brow.

"Alright!" I shout with a forced smile. "Let's go get this over with." Dean leans forward and I meet him half way. The kiss is soft and quick, and then he pulls back and gets in the driver's seat.

I ride with Sarah in the back. I have no clue where we're going. Clearly the man was buried in an obscure place. They must not 'ave wanted him to be laid to rest with the rest of the family. The Impala almost rocked me to sleep again until Dean hit the breaks. It jolted me awake, but I'm grateful. My dreams have not been the most enjoyable, and my relaxation becomes nothing but fear and tension. We all get out and the boys start digging. Sarah holds the flashlight for them, and I take over if one of them gets tired.

"You guys seem uncomfortably comfortable with this." I hear Sarah say next to me. I look to her and send her a smile.

"After a while you just get used to it." I tell her. "I mean, this isn't our first time digging up a dead-man." I chuckle a bit, but stop once she narrows her eyes. Sam hops out of the hole and stands on Sarah's other side.

"So," He starts. "Still think I'm a catch?" He asks her. She remains silent as I watch Dean as he throws out the last few shovel fulls of dirt. He then hits the shovel on the ground he is standing on. It's a hollow wooden sound. That certainly sounds like a cheaply made pine box.

"Think I got somethin'." He says. Sarah points the flashlight directly down into the hole where Dean is digging. He breaks the wooden cover with the shovel, and opens it. The skeleton of the man is there so we start the final part of the process. I grab the salt and start pouring it over the skeleton in the hole. Sam pours the gasoline over the salt. Once that's all done, we stand over the hole. "You've been a real pain in the ass Isaiah." Dean lights a match. "Good riddance." He throws the match into the grave and we all just stand there and watch as the corpse burns. All that's left is the follow through. We need to double check that what we did actually worked.

On the way back into town the rumble of the Impala's engine eases me to sleep as I lean against the window. I dream of nothing but blackness. I try to walk around, but I can't even see my hand in front of my face. I call out for everyone. Dean, Sam, John, even Bobby. Suddenly, I hear a soft ballad sounding song. I see a light. It's far away, but seems to be coming towards me quickly. It consumes me and I jolt awake. I look around at the empty seat next to me. The front passenger seat is also empty. The music isn't playing anymore.

"They went inside." Dean's voice causes me to look in the rearview mirror. He's looking at me with a smirk on his face.

"What?" I sort of snap at him.

"Nothing." His smirk doesn't leave his face. "I just think you're adorable when you're tired."

"Fuck off." I scoff.

"That's my girl." He says as he looks back at the house. I follow his gaze to the wide-open front door. A soft wind blows, but I feel like something isn't right. We watch as the door slams. There is no way Sam or Sarah did that. I'm out of the car before Dean. I run up the stairs, under the police tape, and try to open the door. Dean comes up behind me, so I step away to let him try to force it open with his shoulder. It doesn't work

"Dean!" We just barely hear from the other side. "Hey! Is that you?"

"Sammy, you alright?" Dean asks though the door. There is no answer until Dean's phone rings. He picks up, and I can only hear one end of the conversation. "Tell me you slammed the front door." Dean voices right away.

"We know he didn't, Dean." I say from behind him as Sam answers him.

"Girl? What girl?" Dean asks as he pulls out his lock pick. There is a slight pause. "Wasn't the dad looking down at her? Maybe he was trying to warn us." I watch as he struggles to pick the lock.

"I don't think that's gonna work, babe." I tell him. I know he's pretty quick with the lock pick, so if it's taking him this long to get it, he's not gonna get it. He continues to try to pick the lock, so I just take the phone from him.

"He's trying to pick the lock, but it won't budge." I tell Sam.

" _Well, knock it down._ " He snaps at me.

"Okay smarty pants, we'll just grab the battering ram." I snap back at him.

"Shelby, the damn thing is coming!" He yells.

"You're just gonna have to hold it off until we figure something out." I tell him. The phone is grabbed from me and Dean is now talking to his brother.

"Get some salt or iron." There is a long pause as Dean tries to force the door again. He turns to me. "Go look for another way in." He tells me. I walk the wrap around porch to look for windows or other doors that are open or will open. I try the first window, but it has a metal cage around it. The next window is the same. "Sammy, you okay?" I hear Dean say as he comes around the corner. I look at him and shake my head to tell him that nothing is working. "How we gonna waste 'er?" He asks Sam. We walk back to the front door. I think about how we could do this, but everyone else in the family was cremated. "Then how's she still around?" In the next pause we leave the porch to continue trying to find an entrance. "The mausoleum." I look to Dean as he hangs up. "We gotta go, baby girl."

"Why, what's at the mausoleum besides the ashes?" I ask as I follow him to the car.

"The doll could have some of the girl's hair." He answers as I get in the passenger seat. That's all the information I need. We don't say anything as Dean speeds off down the road. He crashes through the entrance gate of the cemetery and right up to the door. We get out and Dean quickly enters the stone structure we were in earlier. I see him bang on the glass, but it doesn't budge. He takes out his gun and tries to smash it with the grip of said gun. I roll my eyes as I build up the courage to enter the small room.

"What are you, Dean? A cave man?" I ask as I take the gun from his hand. I point the muzzle of the gun at the glass and pull the trigger. The glass breaks, and Dean grabs the doll. He takes out his lighter, but it's not lighting. "Come on!" I yell at him. "Light it already!"

"What do ya think I'm trying to do!?" He yells back. Finally the lighter does its job and Dean puts the flame against the hair of the doll. He throws it to the ground, but I can't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. I take out my phone and call Sam.

"Sammy?" I breathe out with worry as I hear the other end answer. There's a long pause, and I feel my heart beat faster. Were we too late?

"We're not bad." I hear him answer. I let out that breath I had been holding in. Dean comes up behind me as Sam and I hang up.

"Alright, let's go get them." I say. He leads me out of the mausoleum by my shoulders.

"Yes, ma'am." He says. I get in the passenger seat and Dean drives back to the house. As we get there, Sam and Sarah are coming out. I rush out and tackle Sam in a hug. I hear him lightly chuckle.

"Don't you ever do that again, Sammy." I try to scold him.

"Yeah, yeah, no promises." He answers. I let him go and I give Sarah a hug as well.

We go back to the hotel, and Sarah leaves us for the night. Dean and I spoon in one bed and Sam sleeps in the other. I hear Dean snore in my ear all night. But even if he wasn't snoring I wouldn't be able to get to sleep. The last few dreams keep me awake. I watch the window, and as the curtains light up with the sunrise I feel movement in the man behind me. His snoring stops, the arm he has around me pulls me tighter to him, and his nose is nuzzling the back of my head.

"G'morning, babe." He says in a sleepy voice. It makes me smile.

"Morning." I reply.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asks into my hair.

"Not really."

"Does it have anything to do with the dream you had yesterday?" He asks. I become tense. He pulls me even tighter to him. "You wanna talk about it?" I shake my head no. "Whenever you feel like opening up about it, I'll be ready to listen." I scoff at his words. It sounds like something he would say if he were drunk.

"Sure thing." I tell him.

Eventually all of us are up and ready. We grab something quick to eat, go look through the county records, and head over to the auction house. Sam runs in ahead of us. I wonder what will happen with him and Sarah. I get the vide that they like each other, but I think she's good where she is. Our life is not for everybody.

"Maybe you should try and get some sleep." Dean says to me. "There's nothing too important happening today."

"I'm good." He just looks at me. "Seriously, I'm fine." He continues to just look at me without saying a word. "Fine." I say like a teenager.

"That's my girl." He says as he gets out of the Impala. I lay down in the backseat. I close my eyes and try to drift off into dreamland. Hopefully it's a good one this time.


	10. Between Cases 5

Sleep has not been going well for me lately. Every time I shut my eyes I see him, Yellow Eyes. His mere image shakes me to my core. The last nightmare I had, he told me we would all meet in person soon. I don't want to believe it, but am I really ****not**** going to believe a demon who can Freddy Krueger me?

My lack of sleep is really impacting my daily life, as it probably should. I've been getting headaches so bad I have to wear sunglasses constantly. To stay awake, I have to drink tons of coffee each day, which does not help my headaches. I'm moody, causing the boys to get a little irritated. I had to get earplugs to block out the music Dean blasted from his speakers. Every time I wake suddenly from a nightmare screaming I almost cause Dean to drive Baby off the road.

Dean and I haven't had sex since the nightmares started. Dean still spoons me at night, and his snores have become almost like white noise to me, but I can never sleep. I constantly look to the door, hoping that Yellow Eyes would come and get it over with already.

Maybe this is his plan.

He's trying to kill me slowly.

And I think it's working.


	11. Dead Man's Blood

I don't even remember where we are right now, but I'm on my second cup of coffee since we've been sitting in this diner. With my aviators on, it looks like it's night time when it's early morning.

"You alright, Shel?" I hear Sam ask me from across the table.

"Just great." I answer with heavy sarcasm as I rub my temple to try and will the pain away. Dean takes a bottle of Advil out of his jacket pocket, opens it and hands me two capsules. I pop them in my mouth and take another sip of my coffee to get them down. "Thanks." I say as I start to pick at the order of scrambled eggs I have on the plate in front of me.

"Anything for you, babe." He says as he rubs my back trying to sooth my pain through his touch. He sounds a bit tired, though. Maybe I'm imagining it because of how tired I am. "Let's talk leads." He starts. "We haven't found a decent one in all of Nebraska." Nebraska! That's where we are. What do you got?" He asks Sam, who has his laptop open in front of him.

"Well, I been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota." Sam answers. "Here, a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived." I scoff at the story.

"Sounds more like 'That's incredible!' then 'the Twilight Zone'". Dean says.

"Yeah." I agree.

"Hey, you know we could just keep heading east." Dean suggests. "New York, upstate. Could stop by and see Sarah again. Huh?" Sam says nothing. "She's a cool chick, man. Smokin'." I clear my throat to let him know I'm still here, and can hear him. "I mean for him, not me."

"Sure." I say sarcastically again. "You two did seem to go well together." I direct my to Sam with as much sincerity as I can muster.

"Even Shel agrees." Dean says gesturing slightly to me. "What do you say?"

"Yeah, I don't know. Maybe someday." Sam answers. "But in the meantime, we got a lot of work to do, Dean, and you know that."

"Yeah, you're right." Dean concedes. "What else you got?"

"Uh, man in Colorado. Local man by the name of Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home." The name makes me perk up. I know this man.

"Elkins. I know that name." Dean comments.

"Doesn't ring a bell." Sam says.

"Well you probably wouldn't know, Sammy." I say. "But his name should be in your dad's journal." I tell them. "He's a hunter."

"Sounds like the cops don't know what to think." Sam continues with what he found out about the case as Dean brings out the journal. "At first they said it was some sort of bear attack, and now they found signs of robbery."

"Shit." I say to myself. Neither one of them hears me. I watch as Dean flips through the pages to find 'Elkins' on one of the pages. Once he finds it he passes it over to Sam.

"Here." He says as he points to the name with a phone number.

"You sure this is the same Elkins?" Sam asks.

"One hundred percent." I answer.

"It is a Colorado area code." Dean comments. They just look at each other.

"Check please." I say to our waitress with my hand raised.

"What's the rush?" Dean asks. "The guy's already dead."

"Yes, but obviously he had something worth stealing." I tell them. "What could maul a hunter and go through his things?"

"A lot of things actually." Sam answers. I scoff at his words.

"Whatever he was hunting got the upper hand on the old man, and they were looking for something. I want to know what the fuck they took from him." I stand up and leave them to pay.

"Where are you going?" Dean asks.

"I'll be waiting with Baby." I tell them. "Hurry and pay so we can get outta here." Once I'm outside I call John to see if he's up to speed on Elkins. He doesn't pick up so I leave a message telling him that we'll be going to investigate, and if he ends up there that I can't wait to see him. He's like my second surrogate father. That reminds me. I should go visit Bobby soon.

Soon, the boys meet me at the Impala, and we're on our way to Colorado. We arrive at Elkins' cabin in the dead of night, so I don't need my aviator sunglasses. Dean picks the lock on the cabin door and we cautiously enter, each of us holds a flashlight to see in the darkness.

"Looks like the maid didn't come today." Dean comments as he looks through one of the rooms. Sam crouches down at the doorway as I follow Dean.

"Hey, there's salt over here." Sam calls to us. "Right inside the door."

"You mean like protection-against-demon salt?" Dean asks. "Or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt."

"It's clearly a ring." Sam answers.

"Of course." I say. "He's a hunter." I go over to the desk in the room and look through the papers scattered over his desk. "This only confirms it." Sam finally joins us to add a third set of eyes. All of us look to the journal that looked almost identical to John's. The only difference is that it is so much older.

"This dates back to the sixties." Dean states what I was thinking. We then venture upstairs to see if there's anything else we can find to help us figure out what happened here. There's another room with a desk, and we enter it to see that there was a struggle in this room for sure.

"Whatever attacked him, looks like there was more than one." Sam says as he turns his attention to the skylight. I look up and see that the glass is broken.

"Looks like he put up a hell of a fight, too." Dean adds.

"Yeah." I agree. We walk farther into the room. Sam searches the desk, and Dean looks to everything scattered on the floor. He pauses on a box before continuing farther into the room. I look down at the box Dean had looked at and crouch down to take a closer look. Dean does the same thing in the middle of the room.

"Got something?" Sam and I say at the same time.

"I don't know." Dean answers. "Some scratches in the floor."

"Death throes maybe?" Sam guesses.

"Maybe." Dean answers. He looks to the desk and finds paper and a pencil. He sets the paper on the floor then scribbles over it. When he's finished he lifts the paper off the floor to see what it says. "Or maybe a message." I look over his shoulder. "Look familiar?"

"Three letters, six digits." I say.

"The location and combination of a post office box." Sam continues my thought.

"It's a mail drop." I finish.

"That's just the way dad does it." Dean says.

We go to the post office in town and find the mailbox. Dean puts in the combination and inside is an envelope addressed to 'J.W.'. We head back to the car before we start talking about it. Once again, I'm in the back seat.

"'J.W.'-You think?" Sam asks. "John Winchester?"

"It's gotta be." I say.

"I don't know." Dean says. "Should we open it?" Suddenly there's a knock on Dean's window, and we all jump in surprise. The figure leans down so w can see his face, and a smile instantly grows on my face. "Dad?" Dean asks as I open up the door to the back seat so he can join us in the car.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sam asks. "Are you all right."

"Yeah, I'm okay." John answers. "Slugger left me a message the other day, but by that time I had already read the news about Daniel." He glances at me and nods his appreciation. "I got here as fast as I could." He pauses shifting his gaze between the three of us. "I saw you three up at his place."

"Why didn't you come in, dad?" Sam asks.

"You know why." John answers. "Because I had to make sure you weren't followed...by anyone...or anything." It never escapes me how I feel so grown up one second, then John comes along and I feel like I'm twelve years old again. "Nice job covering your tracks, by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learned from the best." Dean comments.

"Wait, so you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" Sam asks.

"Yeah." John answers solemnly. "He was...he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

"I know that Shel knows about him because of Bobby, but you never mentioned him to us." Sam points out.

"We had a...we had kind of a falling out." John says. "I hadn't seen him in years." John then turns his attention to the envelope in Dean's hand. "I should look at that." Dean hands him the envelope and John opens it. He begins reading the letter out loud for all of us to hear. "If you're reading this, I'm already dead." Then he stops reading out loud as he reads further on his own.

"That son of a bitch." He says as he passes the letter to me.

"What is it?" Dean asks.

"He had it the whole time?" I ask. Then it hit me why that gun box looked so familiar. I had only seen it once as a picture in one of Bobby's books.

"What?" Sam asks.

"When you searched the place, did you see a gun, an antique, a colt revolver?" John asks. Did you see it?"

"No gun." I answer. "Only the case was left."

"They have it." John says.

"You mean whatever killed Elkins?" Dean asks.

"We gotta pick up their trail." John says as he moves to leave the car. He shuts the door behind him as Sam stops him to ask a question.

"Wait. You want us to come with you?"

"If Elkins is telling the truth, we've gotta find this gun." John says.

"The gun? Why?" Another question from Sam. Good old Sammy. Why don't you ever just go with the flow?

"Because it's important, that's why."

"Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet." Sam objects.

"They were what Danny Elkins killed best..." John answers, and my eyes go wide in shock.

"Vampires." I finish his thought. Dean and Sam look back at me in shock and confusion.

"Vampires?" Dean asks. "I thought there was no such thing." Now I'm the one who's shocked.

"You never even mentioned them, dad." Sam adds.

"Really, John?" I ask. "Why would you leave out vampires?"

"I thought they were extinct." John answers simply. "I thought Elkins and others had wiped them out."

"Well, you were wrong." I say to myself hoping he didn't hear me.

"Yes, Shelby, I was wrong." He raises his voice slightly and uses my birth name. "Let's go back to the hotel. You get a room yet?"

"We headed straight to the cabin when we got into town." I answer.

"Alright, I'll explain everything when we get there." With that John goes to his truck, and the boys shake of their shock that vampires are real. When we get a room and settle in, John breaks out into a lesson about vampires. "Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late." The rest of the night was spent in awkward silence until the boys went to sleep. John and I stayed up. I sit on the ledge below the window and he sits at the small table in the middle of the room. He holds a radio in his had to keep track of the police movements, keeping track of anything that seems off. "Why don't you get some sleep." John offers. "I got watch." I smile at him.

"I would if I could." I tell him. He looks a bit confused, so I elaborate. "I've been having a lot of nightmares about a certain demon we all know."

"Ah." He sounds in understanding. "They'll pass eventually."

"I don't think they'll stop until that yellow eyed bastard is dead." I hiss out as I look back out the window. There is only static filling the silence until he breaks it.

"How are you and Dean doing?" He asks me.

"He's been good to me through this." I say as I pull my knees up to my chest. "Let's just say this is no fun for either of us." I chuckle. "If you know what I mean." He chuckles too as he nods his head.

"Maybe it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to...you know. It might make you tired enough to get you to sleep through the night."

"What is happening, right now?" I ask as I continue to chuckle. "Are you telling me to have sex with your son so I can sleep?" He joins me in my soft chuckles once again.

"I'm just glad you kids are back together." He says. The static on the radio turns to voices and John motions for me to be quiet so he can listen to them.

"Unit 22, let me confirm. Mile marker 41, abandoned car...you need a work up"

"Copy that."

"Possible 207, better get forensics out here."

John shuts the radio off and nods his head to signal that that was our cue. He grabs his jacket before waking the boys. I get off the window ledge and grab my own jacket.

"Sam, Dean, lets go." John says as he hits the boy's feet to wake them. Dean groans as I get Deans jacket and bring it over to him. "Picked up a police call."

"What happened?" Sam asks.

"A couple called 911. They found a body in the street." John starts. "Cops got there, everyone was missing. It's the vampires." As Dean slowly puts his jacket on, while still sitting on the bed, I run my fingers through his short hair.

"How do you know?" Sam asks. Dean gets his jacket on then stands up. He grabs my face and plants a quick kiss on my lips then my forehead. Anything more and I would feel embarrassed in front of his dad and brother, not that they were paying attention.

"Just follow me, okay?" John says. Sam is the first to follow John outside. I'm the next as I drag Dean behind me and scoffs.

"Vampires." Dean says. "It gets funnier every time I hear it." We all get in our respective cars and head out, following John. We head to the scene of the abandoned car and John goes to talk with the cops who are investigating. He tells us to stay put and that gets on Sam's nerves a bit. I sit on the hood of Baby, with my aviators on, and leaning forward onto Dean's chest. I could probably fall asleep right here. His scent is so comforting as he rubs my back. Sam breaks the silence from my left.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him." He says

"Oh, don't tell me it's already starting." Dean replies I reluctantly lean back to sit up straight and look to my right to see John on his way back to us.

"What's starting?" Sam asks.

"What do you got?" I ask John as he gets within earshot.

"It was them alright." John answers. Dean turns around and leans back on the impala between my legs. I hug him around the rest my head on his shoulder as John continues. "It looks like they're heading west. We have to double back to get around that detour."

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asks him.

"Sam." Dean and I try to stop the youngest Winchester from starting something.

"I just wanna know we're going in the right direction."

"We are." John answers simply.

"How do you know?" Sam asks his father. John pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to Dean.

"I found this." John says.

"It's a vampire fang." Dean comments.

"No fangs...teeth." I say in his ear as I look to the tooth in his hand.

"A second set descends when they attack." John adds. He turns back to Sam. "Any more questions?" Sam stays silent. "Alright, let's get outta here. We're losing daylight." He moves to walk back to his truck. "And, Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust?" Dean stands up and I slide off the hood as we walk to the passenger side of the car. "I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were gonna ruin it." Dean seems to be a little upset at his father's words. I rub his back this time to comfort him.

"I have to admit, Baby is looking a little rough." I say softly. "We can spend our next free day working on her together, okay? Ooh, we could go visit Bobby at the junk yard. He has all the tools we'd need."

"That sounds nice actually." Dean smiles at me before planting a quick kiss on my lips. The three of us get in the car and follow John's truck as he speeds off. This is one of the few times that Sam has ended up driving. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. Dean decides to do some research on vampires. "Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten." Dean reads out loud. "Smaller packs are sent out to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest, where the pack keeps them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks." He finishes reading and then comments. "I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple."

"No doubt." I answer.

"That's probably what dad's thinking." Sam says. "Of course, it would be nice if he just told us what he thinks."

"Sammy, please don't start this." I say. "Don't go down this road. I just got rid of my headache."

"What?" Sam asks.

"Sam, we've been lookin' for dad all year." Dean starts. "Now we're not with him for more than a couple hours and there's static already."

"No." Sam scoffs. "Look, I'm happy he's okay, alright, and I'm happy that we're all working together. Good." Sam starts explaining. "It's just the way he treats us like we're children." Okay, so it's not just me, but I see it as more nostalgic than a bad thing.

"Oh God." Dean says as he roll his eyes.

"He barks orders at us, Dean. He expects us to follow him without question."

"Sam." Dean says, trying to stop Sam's rant.

"He keeps us on some crap need-to-know deal."

"He does what he does for a reason." Dean finally is able to say as I feel my headache coming back.

"What reason?" Sam asks.

"Our job!" I yell out. Both boys stop, letting me continue. "There's no time to argue. There's no margin for error. It's just the way he runs things, okay?" I finish as I hold my hand out to Dean. Somehow he knows what I'm asking for and gets me a couple more Advil capsules and hands me a bottle of water. "Thanks."

"No problem, babe." He replies.

"Yeah. well, maybe that worked when we were kids, but not anymore, alright?" Sam continues to argue. "Not after everything the three of us have been through. I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line and letting him run the whole show?" He asks.

"If that's what it takes." Dean answers simply. Sam looks to me through the rearview mirror and I nod in agreement with Dean. Silence fills the car before Dean gets a call from John. "Yeah dad...alright, got it." He says before hanging up. "Pull off the next exit."

"Why?" Sam asks.

"'Cause dad thinks we got the vampires' trail." Dean answers.

"How?"

"Oh God." I say to myself.

"I don't know. He didn't say." Dean answers again. With that, Sam revs the engine and speeds up. He passes John's truck and gets in front of him before slamming on the breaks and swerving into the opposite lane so John can't drive past us.

"What the hell, Sam?!" I yell at him as he gets out of the car.

"Oh crap. Here we go." Dean says as he gets out. "You alright?" He asks me as he opens my door.

"I'm fine, thanks." I tell him. "But pretty soon your brother won't be. If John doesn't kill him, I'm sure I'm up for the task."

"Calm down." Dean says. "No one is killing anyone tonight."

"What the hell was that?" John says to Sam as he gets out of his truck.

"We need to talk." Sam tells him.

"About what?" John asks.

"About everything."

"That's real specific Sam." I pipe in.

"Where we going, dad?" Sam asks. "What's the big deal about this gun?"

"Sammy come on. We can Q and A after we kill all the vampires." Dean says.

"Your brother's right. We don't have time for this." John comments.

"Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous to be together. Now, out of the blue, you need our help." Sammy does have a point, but he also needs to cool it. "Now, obviously something big is going down and we wanna know what."

"Get back in the car." John tells him.

"No." Sam defies the order.

"I said get back in the damn car." John repeats.

"Yeah, and I said no." Sam also repeats.

"Alright, you made your point, Sammy." I say. "I know for a fact we're all tired, so we can talk about this later." There is a pause before Dean grabs Sam's jacket to push him back to the car.

"Sammy, come on." Dean says. I follow them as Sam makes another comment.

"This is why I left in the first place." He says to himself. I hope to God that John doesn't hear him.

"What'd you say?" John says. My hope did not come true. I let out a sigh of irritation.

"You heard me." Sam snaps back.

"Yeah, you left." John says. "Your brother, Shelby, and me...we needed you." Oh please just make it stop. "You walked away, Sam. You walked away!"

"Stop it, both of you." Dean tries to stop it. Maybe he's able to read my thoughts.

"You're the one who said, 'don't come back', dad!" Sam points out. "You're the one who closed that door, not me! You were just pissed you couldn't control me anymore!" John grabs onto Sam's shirt and jacket in a threatening manner and Dean tries to step in again.

"I said, stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" He's able to separate them. "That's enough!" all of them are breathing heavy from the yelling match before Dean turns to John. "That means you, too." I watch as Sam gets in the impala, then John goes back to his truck, leaving Dean and I standing in the middle of the road between them. "Terrific." We go back to the doors we exited, still open, and get in. We drive the rest of the way with John still leading the way.

We finally make it to where John thinks there is a pack of vampires, as the sun comes up. I put my aviators back on before getting out of the car. We stay as far away as we can so we aren't detected by the pack. We watch as a car drives up to a large barn and the door opens to reveal a man with shoulder length, wavy black hair. A man gets out of the car and heads inside, followed by the man who opened the door.

"Son of a bitch." John says.

"So they're really not afraid of the sun." Dean comments.

"No, direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn." John says.

"The only way to kill 'em is by beheading." I add.

"How do you know all this stuff about vampires?" Dean asks.

"What? I read." I explain as simply as possible.

"And they sleep during the day, but it doesn't mean they won't wake up." John continues.

"So I guess walking right in's not our best option." Dean says.

"Actually, that's the plan." John says. The guys look confused, and I am in the same boat with them. John heads back to his truck, and we follow him. Sam and Dean open the trunk of the impala as I watch John pull up a hidden compartment door and presses a button, causing another compartment to reveal itself. It's a pretty impressive cache of weaponry.

"Wow, that's impressive." I comment as I stare at all the organized weapons. Every one has it's own place to be and I can't help but appreciate how awesome that is. Sure, Baby's armory is impressive too, but come on.

"Yeah, I've made some improvements to it since the last time you saw the bed of this truck." John chuckles.

"Hey dad, I've got an extra machete if you need one." Dean says from the trunk of the impala. John pulls out his own machete.

"I think I'm okay. Thanks." John replies.

"Wow." Dean comments. I giggle at the repeated word I said a few seconds ago. i walk over to the car and dig through my bag in the back seat and pull out my own machete.

"So..." John starts. "You boys really wanna know about this colt?"

"Yes they do." I say as I shut the door to the backseat. "And I'd like to see if you've found out anything else about it, that I haven't read. So spill it."

"As you say, Slugger, It was just a story..." John starts. "A legend really. Well, we thought it was. I never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter. Back in 1835, when Haley's comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo, They say Samuel Colt made a gun...a special gun. He made it for a hunter...a man like us, only on horseback."

"The story goes he made thirteen bullets." I continue. "This hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him." I finish.

"Until somehow, Daniel got his hands on it..." John comments. "They say...they say this gun can kill anything."

"Kill anything, like supernatural anything?" Dean asks.

"Like the demon." Sam figures out.

"Yeah, the demon." John confirms. "Ever since I picked up it's trail, I've been looking for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun...we may have it." With that explanation out of the way it seems to calm the tension among the four of us.

Soon, we are beginning our plan to get the colt back and maybe kill the blood suckers on our way out. We quietly creep up to the large barn and find a way in through a high window. The boys hoist me up high enough to reach the edge of the open window. John followed me, then Sam and Dean. John goes ahead as Sam, Dean and I wait a bit. Dean closes the window we entered as Sam and I look farther into the barn. I see a large number of hammocks with members of the pack sleeping in them. I look around for where John went, but I can't see where he is. Where did he go?

The three of us carefully walk between the hammocks to not disturb any of them. Out of the corner of my eye I see Dean stop and look at a one of them. I look to see a blonde with cut offs, a low cut top and a woven cowboy hat. I glare at him until his gaze meets mine. I roll my eyes and continue to follow Sam. Seconds go by before I hear Dean accidentally kick a bottle. I look back to see he almost wakes one of them. I watch to make sure he doesn't wake up as dean comes over to me.

"Shel, Dean." We hear Sam whisper, so we go over to where he's crouched in front of a woman tied to one of the posts in the middle of the barn. The boys start to untie her as I keep watch for any movement from the pack. There is some movement in a back room.

"There's more." I whisper to them. Dean stands up and I point him in the direction I heard the noises. He heads towards where I heard noises coming from. I continue to look around the room to make sure we aren't taken by surprise if one wakes up. I hear a metallic noise from where Dean is opening a cage of some sort. The pack only moves around in their sleep a bit, so when they settle down the boys continue what they're doing. I still have no clue where John ran off to, though.

"Hey." I hear Sam whisper. I look down to see that the tied up woman seems to be waking up. "Hey, hey, shh. I'm here to help you." Suddenly the woman lets out a blood chilling scream. I immediately pull out my machete, and Sam stands up next to me and does the same thing.

"Shel! Boys, run!" We hear from one of the back rooms. We bolt towards the large barn door and push through it into the sunlight. We run until we reach the vehicles, but when we get there we realize that John wasn't right behind us.

"Dad!" Dean yells out.

"John!" I yell out as my nerves start to get the better of me. As soon as I saw him break the tree line I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that." I say as I put my hand on my chest. am and Dean turn to run to the car until John stops them.

"They won't follow." John says. "They'll wait till tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life."

"What the hell do we do now?" Dean asks.

"You gotta find the nearest funeral home. That's what." John answers.

"Okay, Dean and I will go." I say.

"No, Slugger." John says. "You and Sam can come back to the hotel with me. You need some rest, and Dean can handle getting what we need on his own." I look to Dean, who only shrugs his shoulders in return.

"What is it you want me to get?" Dean asks.

"Dead man's blood." John answers simply. Dean nods in response and heads to the impala as an involuntary yawn escapes my mouth. "Make sure she gets some shut eye." He calls back to John and Sam.

"Yeah, yeah." I wave them off as I head towards John's truck. Sam joins me as John gets something from the tailgate of his truck. When he get's in the driver's seat he turns his attention to me.

"You still got a headache, Slugger?" He asks me. I nod and he holds a small vial towards me.

"What's that?" I ask.

"It's an herbal remedy for pain." He answers. "I got it when I was passing through Louisiana." I take a deep breath as I take the small vial.

"What the hell?" I shrug as I open the vial and drink up all of the liquid in the vial. I close it and hand it back to John as my face scrunches up. "Oh, that's disgusting." I hear Sam chuckle from the back seat, and John joins in a bit as he starts the truck and starts driving back to the hotel. We stay quiet and my eyelids slowly start to shut as I pull my knees to my chest and lean on the door.

I shut my eyes completely and drift into a deep sleep. There's no dream. Just blackness. It's somewhat calming, and it relieves the anger I feel for John giving me a sleeping tonic. I hope I wake up rested at the very least.

"How'd you get her to sleep?" I faintly hear Dean's voice ask as I begin to smell coffee grinds.

"I know what it feels like to not want to go to sleep." Came John's voice. "I made the tonic for myself, but I figure she needed it more than me. How long has it been since she got a good night's sleep?"

"I don't know. Maybe a couple weeks." Dean answers.

"A month and a half." I answer in a groggy voice.

"What?" Dean asks surprised.

"Hey, John. You got any more of that shit?" I ask.

"I certainly do." He answers. "Though, I would only take it as a last resort. I have no clue what the long term effects will be. And I don't want you getting addicted to the stuff." He jokes. I laugh as I sit up on the hotel bed. I guess someone carried me from the truck.

"And, I know I can wake you up with some coffee." Dean adds.

"So, did you get it?" I ask him.

"Of course I did." Dean seems so proud of himself.

"And we already soaked our weapons, including yours." Sam says. "So we're good to go for the rest of the plan."

"And what is that exactly?" I ask.

Dean and I drive Baby out into the middle of nowhere and 'break down'. We get out and he pops the hood, pretending to figure out what's wrong with it. I lean against the side with my arms crossed to try and keep myself warm.

"Car trouble?" We hear from behind Dean. Both of us turn to see a woman in a denim vest. "Let me give you two a lift..." She says as she looks Dean up and down. "Take you back to my place."

"I think we'll pass." I say as I walk up next to Dean.

"Yeah, we usually draw the line at necrophilia." Dean adds.

"Ooo." She says before backhanding Dean across the face. Before I can do anything a second vampire comes up behind me and restrains me. The woman goes up to Dean and grabs his face. She lifts him up into the air by his jaw.

"I don't normally get this friendly till the second date, but..." Dean says as I feel the one holding me sniff at my hair.

"You know, we could have some fun." She says. "I always like to make new friends." Then she kisses him and I can't help the rage that runs through me. I struggle against my captor until she pulls away from Dean.

"Oh, sorry." Dean says. "I never really stay with a chick that long. In fact, I've been with her the longest, and even that's been on and off." He gestures to me. "Isn't that right, babe?"

"Yeah, totally." I cringe at my answer. Suddenly I hear something fly through the air and hit my captor, causing him to let me go. Then I hear another and it hits the woman, causing her to drop Dean. Sam and John come out of hiding and she starts to talk to them.

"Barely even stings." She tells them. Sam comes over to me and keeps my former captor in his sights.

"Give it time, sweetheart." John says to her. That arrow's soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you, isn't it?" The woman faints, but Dean catches her to stop her from falling to the ground. Although, I would love to see her fall flat on her face. "You alright, Slugger?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answer.

"Load her up." John tells Dean. "I'll take care of that one." He motions to the one by Sam and I. I follow the boys to the truck. Dean loads the woman into the truck, and after he shuts the door I forcefully turn him around and pull his lips to mine. I needed to erase that woman's imprint on his mouth. I finally step back so we can both catch our breath.

"Wow." Dean says. "What was that for?"

"Perhaps it was because that vampire bitch kissed you." I reply.

"Maybe I should kiss vampires more often then." He jokes, but I just glare at him.

"Don't push it." I tell him as I hear John make his way back to us. He sets up a fire before going to his truck to get something.

"Toss this on the fire." He says to Dean as he tosses him something. "Saffron, skunks, cabbage, and trillium," He starts explaining what it is he just gave Dean. "It'll block our scent and hers until we're ready." As Dean gets closer to where I am near the fire I begin to grow nauseated at the scent.

"Stuff stinks." Dean comments.

"I'm guessing that's the point, babe." I comment.

"Point for Slugger." John says. "Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you'll stand a chance of not being detected." I watch as Dean pours out the contents of the bag before just dropping the entire bag on the fire.

"You sure they'll come after her?" Sam asks.

"Yeah." John answers. "Vampires mate for life. She means more to the leader than the gun. But the blood sickness is gonna wear off soon. So, you don't have a lot of time." Dean and I walk over to join the other two.

"Half-hour ought to do it." Sam tells him.

"And then I want you outta the area as fast as you can." John adds. I snap my head up to look at the father figure standing in front of me.

"John." I say at the same time that Sam and Dean spoke up in protest.

"You can't take care of them all yourself." Dean says.

"I'll have her and the colt." John replies.

"But after, we're gonna meet up, right?" Sam asks. "Use the gun together, right?" There's a pause as we wait for him to answer.

"John!" I shout in irritation. He just avoids making eye contact.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Sam points out. I roll my eyes. What the heck? "You still wanna go after the demon alone? You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this."

"Like what?" John asks.

"Like children."

"You are my children. Shelby, too. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"Dad, all due respect, but uh that's a bunch of crap." Dean comments. We all look to him with a bit of surprise. It's rare to hear Dean go against John.

"Excuse me?" John asks.

"You know what the three of us have been huntin'." Dean continues. "Hell, you sent us on a few huntin' trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keepin' us safe."

"It's not the same thing Dean." John says.

"Then what is it?" Dean asks. "Why do you want us outta the big fight."

"This demon..." John starts. "It's a bad son of a bitch."

"So?" I ask.

"I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive." He finishes.

"You mean you can't be as reckless." Dean points out.

"Look..." John says. "I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece." I hear the emotion in his voice and I see his eyes get glassy as he tries to hold back tears. "Your mother's death... it almost killed me. I can't watch my children die, too. I won't."

"What happens if you die?" I ask.

"Yeah, dad, what happens if you die and we coulda done something about it?" Dean adds. I grab onto his hand and interlace our fingers. "You know, I've been thinking. I think maybe Sammy's right about this one. I think we should do this together." I hear the same emotion breaking dean's voice a bit. "We're stronger as a family, dad. We just are. You know it." I nod in agreement.

"We're running outta time." John says. "you do your job, and you get outta the area. That's an order." He says as he looks around at all three of us. Then he walks past us to his truck, leaving the three of us in silence. I clear my throat before talking to the boys.

"Alright, let's go." I drag Dean back to the impala, hands still intertwined, as Sam follows behind us.

We wait for John to distract some of the vampires and lead them away before we move in on the barn. We sneak in and see that there is only one male vampire holding down the fort. He's distracted by a noise by the door, so I took my chance and snuck behind him. I ready my machete as I wait for him to turn around. When he does I smile sweetly at him before raising my machete and attacking him. Dean heads towards the people locked up in the caged area. The captives are released, and once they're all gone it's just the three of us in an empty barn.

"I think that's all that's here." I point out as we search the place for more of the vampire pack.

"They must've all gone and followed their leader." Sam says.

"I think dad's gonna need some help." Dean adds.

"Let's go, then." I smile at the boys. We run back to the impala and go find where John had got to. We finally spot him and the pack of vampires. We exit the car and sneak up behind the vampires. We lay in wait just in case things go south.

It seems to be going fine until the vampires decide to go on the attack. The leader hits John and he flies back into his truck. He lands unconscious on the ground. As the vampire leader stalks towards John, Dean shoots a bolt from the crossbow in his hands. It hits the vampire bitch with the woven cowboy hat, the one he had been looking at the last time we saw them. I smile to myself as we run out of the tree line.

Sam and I charge forward with our machetes and Dean shoots another bolt into one of the blood suckers. I go low first to catch them off guard. I catch their ankle and they fall to the ground. I get on top of the vampire I attacked and it only takes one swing of my machete to cut the fucker's head clean off. I look over at Sam and see that he's struggling. Dean and I try to go help him, but the vampire leader gets Sam in a choke hold and faces us.

"Don't!" He says. "I'll break his neck. Put your blades down." He tells us. I look to Dean and our gazes meet. We look back and his grip on Sam's neck gets tighter. I take a deep breath as I drop my bloody machete to the ground. Dean does the same thing. "You people. Why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do."

"I don't think so." I hear John's voice. The vampire holding Sam turns to look and is greeted by a bullet to his forehead. He drops his hold of Sam, and Dean and I grab a hold of him. We all watch as the wound starts to heal, but then it gets worse. His mate calls out to him as he falls to his knees. I can see that he's trying to fight the death that is sure to come to him. Then he drops to the ground fully. I stare in awe at the lifeless body before us.

"Kate, don't." I hear from one of the female vampires. I look to them and see that they're both running to a car and they burn rubber driving away. The four of us just stand in silence. It worked. The colt actually worked.

As we pack up our things to move out John comes back inside.

"So, Slugger, boys..." John starts. The three of us turn to him and meet in the middle of the room.

"Yes, sir." Sam says.

"You ignored a direct order back there." He comments.

"Yes, sir." Sam and I say at the same time.

"But we saved your ass." Dean points out. There is a heavy pause until John breaks the silence.

"You're right." John agrees.

"I am?" Dean asks.

"It scares the hell outta me. You three are all I've got." John says. "But I guess we are stronger as a family. So...we go after this damn thing...together." His words bring a smile to my face.

"Yes, sir." All three of us say. That yellow eyed bastard won't know what hit him. I'm not afraid to see him in my dreams, now. With these three around, I don't have any fear. I know for a fact we are gonna hit this demon as hard as we can, and we will succeed in killing him.


	12. Salvation

We end up staying in Colorado and use Elkins' cabin as 'home base' for now. John sets up all of his research on the yellow eyed demon and what to look for as signs of his presence. Sam, Dean and I look around at the papers and pictures on the walls. I stand to John's right as I look at a few pages on the desk. Dean does the same on John's left, and Sam stands on the opposite side of the room waiting for John to explain. I pick up a picture of a weather pattern chart as John begins explaining.

"So, this is it." John tells us. "This is everything I know. Look, our whole lives we've been searching for this demon, right? Not a trace, just nothing, until about a year ago." He looks around the room, meeting each of our eyes. "For the first time, I picked up a trail."

"That's when you took off." Dean points out.

"Yeah." John answers. "That's right. The demon must've come out of hiding or hibernation."

"Alright, so, what's this trail you found?" Dean asks as he makes his way in front of the desk.

"It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California." John says. "Houses burned down to the ground. It's going after families, just like it went after us."

"Families with infants?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, the night of the kid's six month birthday."

"I was six months old that night?" Sam asks.

"Exactly six months." John answers. "Just like Shel."

"So basically this demon is going after these kids for some reason," Sam scoffs. "Same way it came for me?" No one says anything. "So mom's death, Jessica...it's all because of me?"

"We don't know for sure, Sam." I say.

"Oh really? 'Cause I'd say we're pretty damn sure." Sam says as he starts waking towards me, almost threateningly. Dean steps in the way even though I'm behind the desk. "And what about-" Sam motions to me as he looks to my abdomen.

"Don't you even dare." Dean seethes. John lifts his hand up to rub my back as what the yellow eyed bastard did to me.

"What happened to all of them is not our fault, Sam." I say with a slight wobble in my voice.

"It may not be our fault, but it is our problem!" Sam yells.

"It's all of our problem! This isn't just on you and Shel!" Dean yells back.

"Okay, that's enough." John says as he stops rubbing my back and stands up. With that, Dean comes over to me I can tell he's making sure I'm okay.

"So, why's it doing it?" Sam asks. "What does it want?" Dean kisses my temple before going to look at more of the papers on the desk. John makes his way between the desk and Sam.

"Look, I wish I had more answers. I do." He tells us as I look at more of the papers on the wall behind the desk. "I've always been one step behind it. Look, I've never gotten there in time to save..." His words drop off and we all know what he means.

"alright, so, how do we find it before it hits again?" Dean asks.

"There are signs." He tells us. "Look, it took me a while to see the pattern, but in the days before these fires, signs crop up in an area...cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations, electrical storms." I look around at all of the weather maps and data, and they prove what John is explaining. "And then I went back and checked, and..."

"These things happened in Lawrence." Dean finished his dad's thoughts.

"The week before your mother died." John confirms. "And in Palo Alto..." He says to Sam. "Before Jessica."

"My dad always said he should have known something bad was going to happen." I say. "A lot of these signs are things he said were bad omens. I just thought he was reading too much into things."

"These signs...they're starting again." John informs us.

"Where?" Sam and I ask in unison.

"Salvation, Iowa." John answers. I chuckle at the irony.

We head to Salvation, Iowa. John pulls off the road once we pass the town line and we follow him. We all get out only to hear John curse.

"Damn it."

"What is it?" Dean asks.

"Son of a bitch." John says as he hits the back of his truck.

"What is it?" I repeat Dean's question.

"I just got a call from Caleb." He says.

"Is he okay?" Dean asks.

"He's fine." John answers. "Jim Murphy's dead." My face falls at this information.

"Pastor Jim?" Sam asks. John nods in confirmation. I put my hands on my hips and focus on my breathing. "How?"

"Throat was slashed. He bled out." John answers. A slight pause ensues before Sam sighs in distress. "Caleb said they found traces of sulfur at Jim's place."

"A demon." Dean says. John nods.

"The demon?" I ask.

"I don't know. Could be he just got careless. He slipped up." I can tell John is getting a bit emotional. "Maybe the demon knows we're getting close."

"What do you wanna do?" Dean asks.

"Now we act like every second counts." John answers. "There's two hospitals and a health center in this county. We split up. We cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of every infant that's gonna be six months old in the next week."

"Dad, that could be dozens of kids." Sam points out. "How the hell are we gonna know which one's the right one?"

"We'll just have to check 'em all, Sammy." I say.

"That's my girl." John says. "You got any better ideas?" He asks Sam.

"No, sir." Sam answers. With that we start to get back into the impala. I look back to see John pausing at the back of his truck with his back to us now.

"Dean." I whisper to get his attention. When he looks to me I nod my head in the direction of his dad.

"Dad?" Dean tries to get his attention.

"Yeah." John replies before turning back around. "It's Jim. You know, I can't..." There is a long pause as we wait for him to finish his thought. "This ends now. I'm ending it. I don't care what it takes." He turns back around and get's into his truck. Sam, Dean, and I look at each other before finally getting back into the impala. We follow John back onto the road and head further into town. Dean and I drop Sam off at the medical center, and Dean and I head to one of the hospitals. We park and head inside.

"Alright, where should we start?" Dean asks as we pause in the entrance.

"How about the desk." I say gesturing to the check-in desk to our right. We head over to a beautiful receptionist as she smiles at us.

"Hi, is there anything I can do for you?" She asks us.

"Oh, God, yes." Dean says. I elbow him in the ribs. "Ow!" The woman smiles and softly laughs.

"We're actually working right now." I say as I hold up my fake cop badge and ID. Dean quickly copies me.

"I didn't think they allowed couples to be partners." The woman says.

"They usually don't but my partner's out with the flu, so they gave me him for the week." I tell her.

"Cute." Se says, continuing to smile. "What can I do for you, officers?"

"We'd like to look through all the birth records from the last six months." Dean says. The woman scrunches up her face.

"Why would you need to do that?" She asks.

"There's been cause to believe that someone has stolen the identity of an infant to file their taxes." I tell her. "We were warned by the FBI, who were warned by the IRS. It's hard to keep track of the chain of events. I just know, for sure, what I was told and that was to figure out who was born and when."

"Of course, follow me." She says as she leads us to a back room. We sit at the table as she goes to get the files we asked her for. I look across the table to see Dean just staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothin'." He replies. "You're just amazing is all." I smile and shake my head as the woman comes back with a stack of files in her hands.

"These are from six months ago." She tells us. "I've still have a couple more trips I have to make."

"Thank you." I say.

"Keep 'em coming." Dean tells her. We're stuck there for hours, writing down names of babies and when they were born. When we finish we thank the woman and head back to the impala. I call John and he tells us to meet him at one of the hotels in town. Then I call Sam to make sure he knows where we're all meeting up. He starts freaking out about a train and a music box, so I tell him to head to the hotel and he can tell us when we're all together.

Once we're all together Sam tells us about the visions he had after he left the Medical Center. He hasn't had them since I've joined them, but Sam had told me all about it when we were trapped in the barn cages of that people hunting family. All the way through his explanation, Sam kept trying to massage his forehead to dull the pain in his head.

"A vision?" John asks, skeptical of the explanation. I stand in front of Dean and hold out my hand. He looks at me funny before realizing what I'm asking for. He hands me some Advil and I grab a new bottle of water I had in one of my bags. I bring them over to the youngest Winchester, and he takes them graciously.

"Thanks." Sam says to me. "And yes." He answers John. "I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling."

"Alright, and you think it's gonna happen to this woman you met because?" John asks.

"Because these things happen exactly the way I see them." Sam answers. I pull out the chair across the small table from Sam, so I can sit down.

"It started out as nightmares," Dean explains as he walks over to the side of the room with Sam and I in it to get some coffee from the kitchenette. "And then he started having them while he was awake."

"Yeah." Sam agrees. "It's like...I don't know. It's like the closer I get to anything involving the demon, the stronger the visions get."

"Alright, when were you gonna tell me about this?" John asks. All three of us look over at him

"We didn't know what it meant." Dean answers for us.

"Alright, something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone, and you call me." John says to Dean. I grab a hold of Sam's hands to stop him pressing on his eyes. I know it probably feels like it's helping, but it's not. I know from experience. Dean puts down the mug in his hand before walking over to his dad.

"Call you?"

"Dean." I warn him.

"Are you kidding me?" I shake my head as Dean starts with the stupid questions. "Dad, I called you from Lawrence, alright. Sam called you when I was dying."

"Wait what?!" I look to Sam who is avoiding eye-contact with me. I let go of his hands. "You never said that he almost died."

"I must have forgotten." Sam says.

"Yeah right. Who forgets that their brother almost died?"

"I know Shelby's called you loads of times, and she's the one most likely to actually get you to pick up." Dean continues. "I mean, getting you on the phone-I got a better chance of winning the lottery." We all look to John to see how he'll react.

"You're right." He says. "Although I'm not real crazy about this new tone of yours, you're right. I'm sorry."

"Look, guys, visions or no visions, the fact is, we know the demon is coming tonight." Sam says. "And this family's gonna go through the same hell we went through."

"No they're not." John says. "No one is...ever again." Dean finishes grabbing some more coffee. Sam's cell phone rings on the table and he picks it up.

"Hello?" He says. I can't hear the person on the other end, but Sam tenses up. "Who is this?" Another pause for the other person to talk. "Meg." He says the name and we all tense up. John comes over to the table. "Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window...Just your feelings? That was a seven story drop." Sam then looks to John. "My dad. I don't know where my dad is." Sam lies. John holds out his hand and Sam gives him the phone.

"This is John." He greets the bitch. He walks away then stops. It must have been because of something she said. "I'm here...Caleb?" Sam, Dean and I whip our heads to look at John's back when he said that. "Caleb...You listen to me. He's got nothing to do with anything. You let him go...I don't know what you're talking about...Caleb. Caleb!...I'm gonna kill you, you know that?" He paces the room, and he's making me anxious. John pauses a long time. "Okay...I said, okay. I'll bring you the colt." All three of us look at him in confusion. "It's gonna take me about a day's drive to get there...That's impossible. I can't get there in time, and I can't just carry a gun on a plane." There's a short pause before he takes the phone away from his ear. John explains to us what Meg said, and what he thinks her motives are.

"So, you think Meg is a demon?" Sam asks as we all stand near the center of the room.

"Either that or she's possessed by one." John answers. "It doesn't really matter."

"What do we do?" Dean asks.

"I'm going to Lincoln." John says.

"What?" Dean asks. I'm a bit surprised at his decision, too.

"It doesn't seem like I have a choice. If I don't go, a lot of people die." John says. "Our friends." I can't help but think about Bobby. Does Meg know where he lives?

"Dad," Sam starts. "The demon is coming tonight for Monica and her family."

"That gun is all we got. You can't just hand it over." I add.

"Who said anything about handing it over?" John asks. "Look, besides us and a couple vampires, no one's really seen the gun. No one knows what it looks like."

"So, what, you're just gonna pick up a ringer at a pawn shop?" Dean asks.

"Antique store." John corrects.

"You're gonna hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice?" Dean asks.

"Look, as long as it's close, she shouldn't be able to tell the difference." John says.

"Sure, John, but for how long?" I ask. "What happens when she figures out it's a fake?"

"I just...I just need to buy a few hours, that's all." John answers.

"You mean for the three of us." I point out.

"You want us to stay here." Sam say as he realize what I already figured out. "And kill this demon by ourselves."

"No, Sam." John says. "I wanna stop losing people we love. I want you to go to school. I want, I want Dean and Shelby to have a home." I start to tear up as I hear the frustration in his voice. He turns away from us. "I want Mary alive." The emotion is clear in his voice now. I can't help the tear rolling down my face. I wipe it away as quickly as I can. "I just...I just want this to be over." He says as he turns back to us. I nod, agreeing with him.

"So," I say, clearing my throat. "What's the plan?"

"Well, I have to go out and get a gun before I leave." John says, also clearing his throat. "We'll meet up at that bridge on the edge of town, before I go." We all nod in agreement. "Why don't you some with me Sam?" We all look a bit confused. "Let's let the lovebirds have some time alone." I roll my eyes at his words.

"Why not?" Sam says. John and Sam leave to get the gun, and that just leaves Dean and I alone in the room.

"So, how do you wanna kill time?" Dean asks.

"How romantic?" I chuckle as I collapse on one of the beds in exhaustion. I hear Dean chuckle a bit too. "I am so freakin' tired." I say as I begin to close my eyes.

"Finally." He says as he lays down in the bed next to me. He pulls me into his chest and I bury my head under his chin. "Get some rest, babe. Were gonna need you at peak performance." I feel him chuckle at his words as I fall into a deep sleep.

Dream

I'm in a black void, but I know I'm on solid ground. I reach out to try and search for something, anything. I can't even see my own hands and arms. Suddenly I see him. Yellow eyes and all. He's smiling at me and it's unnerving.

"Tisk, tisk, Shelby." He says to me. "Do you really think you can get rid of me so easily?"

"We're going to do whatever it takes to kill you." I snap back at him. "And I will love every minute of it." He takes in a deep breath before letting it out.

"You know, you're my favorite." He tells me.

"What?" I ask.

"You're my favorite, and I just want you to get to your full potential." He elaborates. "That's why I had to take that distraction away from you, my sweet." I cringe at the information and the nickname he has now given me. "And don't think I won't take the same distraction away if it pops up again." Tears prick my eyes as he comes closer to me. "Don't cry, my sweet. I need those eyes of yours to help me."

"What are you talking about?" I aks him. He chuckles at my concern.

"You will be my deffense, my warning." He then backs away as sight comes back to me. I call out to him to tell me what he really meant by his words, but his image fades away.

I wake in the hotel room, and I can hear Dean snore in my ear. I smile to myself and begin to sit up in the bed. It causes Dean to wake and he pulls me back to him.

"How did you sleep?" He asks me in a sleepy voice.

"It was better than other times." I speak the truth.

"Good." He says. I feel him kiss the top of my head before my phone starts ringing. I pick it up to see Sam's number on the caller ID.

"Hey, Sammy, everything all set?" I ask him.

"Yeah." He answers. "You two ready to meat up?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." I say as I stand from the bed and get ready to leave the hotel. Dean follows my lead.

"Alright, We'll see you soon." Sam says before hanging up.

Dean and I drive down to the meeding spot under the bridge. We get out of the impala and walk over to Sam and John.

"Did you get it?" I ask. John pulls out a paper bag, and takes out a gun that looks remarkably close to the real colt.

"You know this is a trap, don't you?" Dean asks him. "That's why Meg wants you to come alone."

"I can handle her." John says. "I got a whole arsenal loaded, holy water, mandaic amulets-"

"Dad," Dean interrupts him.

"What?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?" John asks.

"This thing goes south, just get the hell out." Dean answers. "Don't get yourself killed, alright? You're no good to us dead." John looks down to the ground before replying.

"Same goes for you." John says. "Alright, listen to me. They made the bullets special for this colt. There's only four of them left. Witchout 'em, this gun is useless. You make every shot count."

"Yes, sir." Sam says.

"I've been waiting a long time for this fight." John comments. "Now it's here, and I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you three now. It's your fight. You finish this. You finish what I started. You understand?" He tells us as he shifts his gaze to each of us. I nod my head in understanding. John hands Dean the colt.

"We'll see you soon, dad." Sam states. John nods his head.

"I'll see you later." He smiles and pats Sam on the shoulder before heading to the driver's side of his truck. We watch as he gets in and drives away.

"Later." I hear Dean say. I turn to him and rub his arm comfortingly. We only stand there a couple more minutes before heading out to stake out the family we believe Yellow Eyes will attack. We try to figure out how we're going to get the family out of the house.

"Maybe we can tell them there's a gas leak." Sam suggests. "Might get them outta the house for a few hours."

"Yeah, and how many times has that actually worked for us?" Dean points out.

"Yeah." Sam agrees. "Could always tell them the truth." Sam offers another idea. Dean and I look to the youngest Winchester. I laugh.

"Nah." Dean answers.

"I know. I know, I know. I just...with what's coming to these people..." Sam trails off.

"Sam, we only got one move and you know it, alright?" Dean says.

"We gotta wait for that demon to show itself, and then we get it before it gets them." I add. We all look back to the house before Sam asks a question I didn't want to think about.

"I wonder how dad's doing." He says.

"I'd feel a lot better if we were there backing him up." Dean says.

"I'd feel a lot better if he were here backing us up." Sam comments.

"I just wish we weren't in a mess like this." I say. "I wanna go home." I lean back in the back seat as I continue to look at the house.

"This is wierd." Sam says as a few more minutes go by.

"What?" Dean asks.

"After all these years, we're finally here." Sam says. "It doesn't seem real."

"We just gotta keep our heads and do our job like always." Dean tells him.

"Yeah, but this isn't like always." Sam points out.

"True." I agree.

"Dean, uh..." Sam says to get his brother's attention. "I wanna thank you."

"For what?" Dean asks him.

"For everything." Sam answers. "You've always had my back, you know? Even when I couldn't count on anyone, I could always count on you. And now...I don't know. I just wanted to let you know, just in case." His words cause me to sit up and look at him.

"Woah, woah, woah. Are you kidding me?" Dean asks.

"What?"

"Don't say 'just in case something happens' to you." I say.

"I don't wanna hear that freakin'speach, man." Dean says.

"Nobody's dying tonight." I say. "Not us, not that family, nobody except that demon."

"That evil son of a bitch isn't getting any older than tonight." Dean adds. "You understand me?" Again, we look back to the house to keep our eyes peeled for the demon. About an hour goes by and Dean gets a little antsy about John, so he tries calling him, but he doesn't pick up. "Dad's not answering." He tells us.

"Maybe Meg was late." Sam says.

"Maybe cell reception's bad." I add.

"Yeah, well..." He turns back to the house when the silent radio turns into static.

"Dean, wait." Sam says. "Listen." Sam plays with the tuning dial and tries to clear it up. The winds begin to pick up and lights all around the neighborhood flicker

"It's coming." I tell them. We get out and head to the house. Dean picks the lock and we are able to get in. We quietly walk farther into the house. As we get to the living room Dean calls out to Sam as the man of the house swings something at Sam.

"Get out of my house!" The guy yells. Sam dodges the swing and the guy hits the lamp off the coffee table. "Get out of my house!"He goes to swing again, but Dean stops him. He struggles with the man and pushes him up against a wall.

"Mr. Holt, please." Sam says.

"Be quiet and listen to me." Dean says. "Be quiet and listen to me. We're trying to help you, okay?"

"Charlie," We hear from upstairs. "Is everything okay down there?"

"Monica, get the baby!" Mr. Holt shouts to the woman. His shout makes me run up the stairs.

"Don't go in the nursery!" Sam shouts as he follows me.

"You stay away from her!" Mr. Holt yells at us. I see her at the top of the stairs. When our eyes meet she runs to the nursery.

"No!" I shout. When I get to the top of the stairs I see that she's already opened the door. I look past her and there he is. She's immediately slammed against the wall of the nursery. I charge forward until he turns his sights on me. He holds his hand up to me and my world goes dark. I just stand in the same spot as I try to understand what's going on. I feel Sam brush past me before I hear a gunshot. "Sam!" I shout to him as I hear the woman drop from the wall.

"Where the hell did it go?" Sam asks. How am I supposed to know?

"Shel, what happened?" I hear Dean ask as he comes up to me.

"I don't know, I can't see!" I shout. I feel him put a hand on either side of my face.

"Shit!" He whisper yells. "Stay here, babe." With that he leaves me in the hallway. I hear them all yelling to get the woman and the baby out of the house. "Sam, have her take the baby and get them out. I need to help Shel." There were no more words. I felt the warmth of a flame then the woman and Sam running by me. "Alright, babe." Dean says as he picks me up bridal style. "Hold on tight." I loop my arms around his neck and hold on to him for dear life as I feel him run down the stairs and out of the house.

"You get away from my family!" I hear Mr. Holt shout at us.

"No, Charlie, don't! They saved us." His wife tells him. "They saved us. Thank you." She says to us. Dean puts me down and grabs my face again.

"What the hell did he do to you?" Dean asks me. "Your eyes are all foggy."

"It's still in there!" I hear Sam say. Dean lets go of me and turns to Sam.

"Sam. Sam! NO!" Dean shouts. I hear them struggling, and I feel so helpless.

"Dean, let me go! It's still in there!" Sam shouts.

"It's burning to the ground!" Dean tells him. "It's suicide!"

"I don't care!" Sam yells back.

"I do!" Dean yells. "Shel does!" The struggling stops and slowly I start to gain my eyesight back.

"Dean!" I shout. I see a blur coming towards me and grab my face once again.

"The fog is going away." He says with a smile. I smile in return as my vision comes back completely. He pulls me into a kiss filled with passion and longing. God, how I love this man.

Once everything was dealt with at the house the boys and I go back to the hotel. Dean starts calling John to inform him of what happened, but there's no answer. This puts all of us on edge as he continues to call John's phone.

"Come on, dad. Answer your phone, damn it." Dean says. He brings the phone away from his ear. "Something's wrong."

"No shit." I say as I rub my face, hoping it'll get rit of my anxiety. Both of us end up looking to Sam, who hasn't said anything.

"You hear me? Something's happened." Dean repeats to Sam.

"If you had just let me go in there," Sam starts. I look at him in confusion. "I could have ended all this." Dean and I look to each other before looking back to Sam.

"Sammy, the only thing you would have ended was your life." I tell him. He turns to look at me.

"You don't know that." He tells me.

"So what?" Dean asks. "You're just willing to sacrifice yourself? Is that it?" Sam stands from the bed.

"Yeah." He answers. "Yeah, you're damn right I am." I sigh at this confrontation and bury my head in my hands.

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen...not as long as I'm around." Dean tells him.

"What the hell are you talking about, Dean? We've been searching for this demon our whole lives. It's the only thing we've ever cared about."

"Sam, I wanna waste it, I do, okay?" Dean tells him. "But it's not worth dying over."

"What?" Sam asks.

"I mean it." Dean says. "If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed, then I hope we never find the damn thing."

"That thing killed Jess." Sam points out. "That thing killed mom."

"It killed my mom, too, Sam." I speak up from where I'm sitting. "I still don't wanna loose you to it." There's a pause before Dean speaks again.

"You said yourself once, that no matter what we do, they're gone. And they're never coming back." I watch as Sam grabs Dean and backs him up agains a wall.

"Sam!" I shout as I stand up and run over to them. He ignores me and focuses on Dean.

"Don't you say that! Dont you...not after all this, don't you say that."

"Sam, look..." Dean starts. "The four of us...that's all we have." I hear the emotion coming through in his voice. "And it's all I have." I look to Sam and see that his anger is sgoing away and the true emotions are making his eyes glassy. "Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding it together, man. "With out you, or Shelby, or dad I..." Sam lets go of Dean, and I can see realization flash across his eyes.

"Dad." Sam says as he turns away to walk across the room. "He should have called by now." He says as he turns back to us. "Try him again."

"Let me call." I say as I pull out my phone. I dial his number and hold it up to my ear.

"You three really screwed up this time." I hear from the other end of the line. My face drops and the boys look to me with concern.

"Where is he?" I ask the bitch, anger seeping through my voice.

"Those boys are never gonna see their father again." She tells me. "I suppose he would be a surrogate father for you. Isn't that right, Slugger?"

To be continued...


	13. Devil's Trap

"They've got John." I tell the boys as Meg hangs up and I do the same. I can't do anything. I just stand in the same spot, in shock. Dean walks across the room to pace as Sam stares at me.

"Meg?" He asks. I nod in confirmation of his question. "What'd she say?"

"I just told you, Sammy." I tell him solemnly.

"Okay." I hear Dean whisper loud enough for us to hear. He wipes at his face as he looks around the room. He goes over to where we have the colt and grabs it before putting it in his waistband. Then he starts packing up really quick.

"What are you doing, Dean." Sam asks.

"We gotta go." Dean answers. I see him pack up my things as well. I wish I could help, but I am still frozen in shock.

"Why?" Sam asks.

"Because the demon know's we're here." I tell him, finally getting up the courage to speak. "It knows we have the colt."

"It's got dad." Dean adds. "It's probably coming for us next." He hands me my jacket and I put it on. Then he hands me my bag, and the weight in my hands snaps me out of my shocked state.

"Good. We've still got three bullets left." Sam says. "Let it come."

"Listen, tough guy. We're not ready, okay!" Dean shouts at him. I sling my bag over my shoulder as I begin to pack Sam's belongings because he's a bit pre-occupied with arguing with Dean. "We don't know how many of them are out there. Now, we're no good to anybody dead."

"He's right, Sammy. We need to leave." I say as I finish packing up his things. He looks to me as I throwhis bag at him. "Now." Sam is reluctant but comes with us anyway as we burn rubber outta town. I sit back in the back seat and hope that Dean doesn't crash. I silently pray for John's safety. I'm not extremely religious, but I like to think there is a higher being of some sort.

"I'm telling you, Dean, we coulda taken 'im." Sam says, breaking my concentration.

"Him easily blinding me would say otherwise, Sammy." I tell him.

"What we need is a plan." Dean says. "They're probably keeping dad alive. We've gotta figure out where. They're gonna wanna trade him for the gun." Sam is silent, and I can tell he's angry. "What?" Dean asks him.

"If that were true, why didn't Meg mention a trade." They both look at me, and I shrug my shoulders.

"They want the gun." I say. "They aren't gonna get it without a trade for John."

"We can't rely on that." Sam says. "Dad, he might be..."

"Don't-" Dean tries to stop Sam's thought.

"Look, I don't wanna believe it any more than you two." Sam says. "But if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing. We still have the colt. We can still finish the job."

"Screw the job, Sam!" Dean shouts at him."

"Dean, I'm just trying to do what he would want. He would want us to keep going."

"Would you quit talking about him like he's dead already?" Dean snaps back. "Listen to me. Everything stops until we get him back. You understand me? Everything." Sam takes a few breaths before speaking again.

"So, how do we find him?" Sam asks.

"We should go to the last place we knew he was." I say. "Hit that warehouse in Lincoln. Maybe they left some sort of trail or clue to where they went."

"You really think these demonsa are gonna leave a trail?" Sam asks me.

"You're right." I admit. "We're gonna need help." Dean looks to me through the rearview mirror and I nod. "Time to go see Bobby." We reach the junk yard the next morning and Dean parks out front. We walk towards the door and I see Rumsfeld chained outside. He's sleeping up on the hood of the tow truck. As we get out and come closer he perks up. "Hey, Rummy." I say in a baby voice. "You being a good boy?"

"So much for my guard dog." I hear from the door of the house.

"Don't be so hard on him." I say to him. "He saw a familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time." I say as I walk over to him. He pulls me into a hug.

"It's nice to see you, Baby Girl." He says with a smile as he lets go of me

"It's good to see you too." He looks over my shoulder at the boys.

"Long time no see boys." He says to them. The two boys stay quiet as I roll my eyes. Bobby walks back inside the house and I wave my boys to come inside.

"Can we get something to drink?" I ask.

"Sure thing, Sunshine." Bobby says from the kitchen. I motion for Dean and Sam to go wait in one of the rooms. Bobby comes out with two flasks, and he hands one to Dean and keeps the other one. "Here you go." He tells him.

"What is this? Holy water?" Dean asks as he looks at the flask in his hand.

"That one is." Bobby tells him. He holds up the flask in his hand. "This is whiskey." He drinks from it, causing me to smile. He hands it to me and I gladly take a sip. The burn down my throat was somewhat comforting. Dean then takes the whiskey from me to take a sip as well. I shake my head and turn to Sam, looking through one of the books on the desk.

"Bobby, thanks." Dean says. "Thanks for everything. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure if we should come."

"Nonsense." Bobby says. "Your daddy needs help."

"The last time we saw you, I mean, you did threaten to blast him full of buckshot. You cocked your shotgun and everything." I giggle at Dean's words.

"Yeah, well, what can I say?" Bobby says. "John has that effect on people."

"Yeah, I guess he does." Dean agrees.

"The one you needed to worry about was yourself." Bobby says. I sigh. "What with you betraying my little girl like you did." I see Dean's face get serious.

"Bobby, now's not the time." I tell him.

"John and I did connect on that front, so maybe that's it." Bobby continues.

"Bobby!" The two of them look to me. "None of that matters now."

"You're right, pumpkin." He agrees as he addresses me with yet another pet name from my childhood. "All that matters is that you get John back." I let out a sigh as Sammy sounds from behind me.

"Bobby, this book," The three of us look to him. "I've never seen anything like it." Bobby walks over to him.

"Key of Solomon?" He says. "It's the real deal, alright."

"And these protective circles, they really work?" Sam asks.

"Hell yeah." Bobby answers. "You get a demon in one, they're trapped. They're powerless. It's like a satanic roach motel."

"The man knows his stuff." Dean says.

"Where do you think I learned all the things I know?" I ask as he comes closer to me.

"I'll tell ya somethin' else, too." Bobby says. "This is serious crap you three stepped in."

"Oh yeah?" Sam says. "How's that?"

"Normal year, I hear say, three demonic possessions, maybe four tops." Bobby explains.

"Yeah?" Dean asks.

"This year, I heard of twenty seven so far. You get what I'm sayin'?" Bobby asks. "More and more demons are walking amung us, a lot more."

"Do you know why?" Sam asks.

"No," Bobby answers. "But I know it's something storm's coming, and you three, your daddy...You are smack in the middle of it." Suddenly we hear the dog begin to bark outside. "Rumsfeld." He says as he turns in panic to the front door. The barking quickly stopped with a god awful noise and I feel loss again in the pit of my stomach. I know that poor dog has met his demise, and it stinks because he was my little protector when I was pregnant. Bobby looks through the blinds of the front window. "Somethin's wrong." He says before someone breaks open the front door. All of us look to see Meg. She looks at the four of us as she walks in.

"No more crap, okay?" She says. Dean walks towards her before she waves her arm, sending him flying back into a pile of books.

"Dean!" I shout. Sam tries to stop me from running to him, but I break away. I crouch down by him and see he's unconscious.

"I want the Colt, Sam...the real Colt...right now." I hear Meg say.

"Get up." I whisper to Dean as he continues to just lay there. I lightly slap his cheeks to try and wake him.

"We don't have it on us." Sam tells her. "We buried it."

"Didn't I say, 'no more crap'?" Meg asks. "I swear, after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I've got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed." I look up at Sam and Bobby slowly backing up, leading her right where we want her. "First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you two chuckleheads and Slugger." I stand up as I watch her walk into the circle on the ceiling. "I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?" I feel Dean finally get up and stand next to me. I look at him and smile and we both walk up behind her.

"Actually," Dean says. "We were counting on it." Meg turns to look at us and I look up and smile at the ceiling. I look back to her and she meets my gaze.

"Gotcha." I say to the demon bitch.

We've set up Meg in a chair, and made sure that she wouldn't get up.

"You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask." Meg says. I roll my eyes as I cross my arms in front of me. Bobby comes in with a can of gasoline.

"I salted the doors and windows." He informs us. "If there are any demons out there, they ain't gettin' in." Silence falls only for a few seconds. I exchange looks with my boys and pat Dean on the shoulder.

"You're up." I tell him. He nods his head and stands in front of the demon forced to sit in the circle.

"Where's our father, Meg?" He asks her.

"You didn't ask very nice." She retorts.

"Fine, where's John, Bitch?" I ask from behind Dean. She turned to look at me.

"Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She asks and I immediately glare at her. "Oh, I forgot. You don't."

"Hey!" Dean yells to get her attention back to him. "You think this is a freakin' game?! Where is he?! What did you do to him?!"

"He died screaming." She answers. "I killed him myself." There's a pause before he backhands her. I flinch a little. I know he would never do that to me, and I wouldn't let him. Plus, Bobby would kill him if he even thought about hurting me again. "That's kind of a turn-on...you hitting a girl." She glanced at me briefly as she spoke.

"You're no girl." Dean replies. Bobby stands from his sitting position. He gently squeezes my shoulder as he goes by.

"Dean." He says as he guides me to the next room. the boys follow us.

"You okay?" Sam asks him.

"She's lying he's not dead." Dean answers.

"Dean, you've gotta be careful with her. Don't hurt her." Bobby tells him.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because she really is a girl. That's why." Bobby answers.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asks.

"She's possessed." Bobby tells them. "That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?"

"You're trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there?" Dean asks.

"That's exactly what he's saying." I confirm. We all look at her before Dean speaks.

"That's actually good news." He goes to get everything we'll need, including Bobby's journal, to release this girl from the grips of the demon. I stand back by the wall as Dean and Sam circle Meg. Bobby goes to the window.

"Are you gonna read me a story?" She asks.

"Something like that." I say.

"Hit it, Sam." Dean tells his brother. Sam starts reading the Latin written on the pages.

"Regna Terrae, contate deo, psallite domino..." He continues as Meg starts talking to us.

"An exorcism? Are you serious?" She says to Dean.

"We're going for it, baby." He tells her. "Head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards." Sam finishes a sentence and pauses. Meg groans in what looks like pain before turning to look at Sam.

"I'm gonna kill you." She tells him. Then she turns to Dean. "I'm gonna rip the bones from your body."

"No, you're gonna burn in hell," Dean says. "Unless you tell us where our dad is." We pause to give her a chance to answer us. "Well, at least you'll get a nice tan."

"Sam." I say, urging him to continue his reading.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," Sam starts up again. "Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursion infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregation et secta diabolica." I watch Meg as she shakes, possibly trying to hold onto this poor girl's body for dear life.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes." She tells us. "He begged to see his sons one last time." She shifts her gaze to me. "He begged to see the mother of his dead grandchild, too." I glare at her. "That's when I slit his throat." She seethes before breathing heavily. I feel Bobby's eyes on me as Sam begins reading again.

"Ergo..." I look to Bobby and nod to him, letting him know I'm okay before turning back to the demon in the chair.

"For your sake, I hope you're lying." Dean says to her. "'Cause if it's true, I swear to God. I will march into hell myself, and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God."

"Perditionis venenum propinare." Sam's words come into focus again. "Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae," Pages in books across the room start flipping, but Sam continues reading. "Hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt."

"Aah!" Meg lets out a shout.

"Where is he?" Dean asks as he circles her.

"You just won't take 'dead' for an answer, will you?" She answers. I won't believe her words until I see them confirmed with my own eyes. John is one of the strongest men I know.

"Where is he?" Dean asks, more violently this time.

"Dead!" She yells out.

"No, he's not!" Dean yells back. "He is not dead! He can't be!" Sam and I look at each other a bit nervous that what Meg is telling us might be the truth. I know demons lie, but she's about to get kicked from her ride. Both of us look to Dean, and I can see rage written all over his face.

"What are you lookin' at?" Dean says to Sam. "Keep reading."

"Ab insidiis diabolic, libera nos, domine." Sam starts up again. "Ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos." Meg shouts out in pain again as she moves her chair in the circle. "Ut inimicus sanctae ecclesiae humiliare digneris," the chair continues to move around as Sam continues his reading. "Te rogamus audi-"

"He will be!" She shouts over Sam's voice." Her words grab my attention.

"Wait!" I shout to stop Sam. "What?!" I ask her as I walk towards the circle where Meg is seated.

"He's not dead." She breathes heavily. "But he will be after what we do to him." She looks around at the three of us.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Dean asks her.

"You don't." She answers.

"Sam!" Dean shouts to have him start reading again, but Meg says something else to stop him.

"A building!" She shouts. "Okay? A building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri?" Dean asks. "Where, where? An address."

"I don't know." She sounds like she's about to cry.

"And the demon, the one we're looking for. Where is it?" Sam asks her.

"I don't know, I swear." She says. "That's everything. That's all I know." She breathes heavily as Sam and I look to Dean to see what the plan is now.

"Finish it." He says. I let out a sigh and step back. It has to be done. This demon can't be let loose back into the world.

"What?" Meg asks. "I told you the truth."

"I don't care." Dean says.

"You son of a bitch. You promised." She says.

"I lied!" Dean shouts at her. "Sam?" There is a pause before he looks up at the youngest Winchester. I know he's having a dilemma right now, but this is no time to go soft. "Sam!" He pauses again.

"Keep reading, Sammy." I say. He turns to look at me. "We gotta free that girl in there."

"We can still use her, to find out where the demon is." Sam says to me.

"She doesn't know!" Dean shouts.

"She lied!" Sam shouts back.

"Sammy, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there, and we've gotta help her." I tell him. Bobby comes closer to us.

"You're gonna kill her." He says, looking to me then the boys.

"What?" Dean asks.

"You said she fell from a building." He reminds us. He looks to her then back at us. "That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside." I cross my arms and look to the floor. I know he's right, but I would feel awful letting her stay in this girl's body. "You exorcise it, the girl is gonna die."

"Listen to me, both of you, we are not gonna leave her like that." Dean tells them.

"She is a human being." Bobby says.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery." Dean says.

"It's what I would want if I was in that situation." I say. All three of them look at me. "Finish it, Sammy." I tell him. He pauses. "Please." I beg him. He takes a breath before beginning to read again.

"Dominicos sanctae eccliae. Terogamus audi nos." Meg starts breathing heavily as Sam continues reading. "Trribilis deus de sanctuario suo deus israhel," Meg opens her eyes and looking back at us are black orbs of the demon. "Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebe sue." She tries to pull at the binding on her wrists. "Benedictus deus. Gloria patri." As soon as Sam finishes Meg lets out a scream and black smoke escapes her mouth. Once the smoke has vanished the girl's body goes slack. I look around at the boys before walking forward. I take a deep breathe before I step within the circle and crouch down to see if she's still alive. I gasp as she tries to move and breathe. She lifts her head a little and I can see blood pouring from her mouth.

"She's still alive." I tell them.

"Call 911. Get some water and blankets." Dean says. Bobby heads to the phone as I begin to undo the binds on her wrists. Dean and Sam also help me.

"Thank you." She says just above a whisper. It's probably all she can muster.

"Shh, shh." I try to soothe her. "Just take it easy. You're safe now."

"Thank you." She says again.

"Shh." I repeat.

"Come on, let's get her down." Dean says. The boys help her out of the chair, trying not to hurt her. As they lift her, the cracking of bones can be heard and I cringe with each shout of pain she emits.

"Sorry, sorry." Dean says. They move her to the ground and lay her on her back.

"I've got 'cha. I've got 'cha." I hear Sam whisper to her. "It's okay. It's okay." They finally set her fully on the ground.

"A year." She strains to talk.

"What?" Sam asks.

"It's been a year." She answers.

"Shh, shh, just take it easy." Sam tells her.

"I've been awake for some of it." She continues anyway. "I couldn't move my own body. The things I did...It's a nightmare."

"Was it telling us the truth about our dad?" Dean asks her.

"Dean." I softly scold him.

"We need to know." He replies.

"Yes." She answers. "But it wants...you to know...that...they want you to come for him."

"If dad's still alive, none of that matters." Dean says. Bobby comes in with water and a blanket for her. Dean helps her drink some of the water as Bobby and Sam get her covered up with the blanket.

"Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asks her.

"Not there." She answers. "Other ones. Awful ones."

"Where are they keeping our dad?" Dean asks.

"By the r-river." She stutters. "S-s-sunrise." I can tell she's close to leaving this world and I begin to feel tears prick at my eyes.

"'Sunrise'? What does that mean?" Dean asks. She says nothing. "What does that mean?" Again she doesn't answer. I let out a couple tears and silently pray for her to be sent to the better place and not where we just sent the demon. I walk outside to get some air as the boys just look to each other in shock. I lean against the impala, letting the tears fall. That poor girl had to deal with that thing inside her for a year. In that pain and agony for a whole year. I look to the ground and my tears fall to the dry dirt. A pair of shoes walk up and stand in front of me before I'm pulled into his chest. I wrap my arms around his torso.

"Everything's gonna be alright, babe." I hear him say as he rubs my back.

"You don't know that." I say into his shoulder.

"You're right." He says as he pushes me away and holds me at arms length. "But we're gonna try and make it that way if it kills us." He smiles sadly. He wipes away my tears with his thumbs before bringing me into a kiss.

"Alright, love birds." I hear from the door of Bobby's house. We break apart at look to my surrogate dad. "You three have places to be, and it's not here." I nod as I open the back seat of the car and then turn back to Bobby.

"Stay safe." I tell him.

"You too, Baby Girl." He says. With that, I get in and we drive off. We stop in an open area by an unfinished bridge to get ready for what's about to come. Dean starts checking all of our weapons and Sam starts studying the book Bobby gave him. I lay down in the back seat with the driver's side door open and my legs hanging out of it. I have my eyes closed, mouthing prayers to whomever was listening. I pray for protection, and success in our mission.

"You two have been quiet." Sam says to us.

"Just getting ready." Dean says.

"Me too." I say, eyes still closed.

"How is laying down with your eyes closed, getting ready?" Dean asks with a smile.

"Having a little bit of spiritual protection wouldn't hurt." I answer. Dean scoffs at my words.

"He's gonna be fine." Sam tells us.

"How can you believe in a higher power with all the things we've seen and been through?" Dean asks me, ignoring Sam.

"If demons exist, then a higher power exists." I answer him as I open my eyes. "Things in the world should be balanced. Even in the supernatural world." I sit up and get out of the car. Dean shakes his head as Sam turns another page in the book in front of him. I look to him and see his face show some interest in the page. "What is it, Sammy?" I ask him. He goes over to the open trunk of the impala and starts drawing on it with a white pencil. Dean catches his actions and instantly grows angry.

"Dude, what are you drawing on my car?" He asks as he goes to look at what Sam is doing.

"It's called a devil's trap." Sam says. "Demons can't get through it or inside it." I nod in understanding.

"So?" Dean asks. I chuckle, causing him to look over at me. "What?"

"It'll turn the trunk into a lockbox." I tell him as Sam comes over to my side to draw the same symbol on the other side of the trunk.

"So?" Dean repeats.

"Oh my God, Dean." I say as I roll my eyes.

"We have a place to hide the colt while we go get dad." Sam says.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks. "We're bringing the colt with us."

"We can't, Dean." Sam tells him. "We've only got three bullets left. We can't just use them on any demon. We've gotta use them on the demon."

"No, we have to save dad, Sam, okay?" Dean says. "We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"John will be pissed if we use those bullets for anything but killing that demon, Dean." I say. "He wouldn't want us to bring it."

"I don't care, Shelby!" He shouts at me. "I don't care what dad wants, okay?" Then he turns to Sam. "And since when do you care what dad wants?"

"We wanna kill this demon." Sam says. "You used to want that, too. Hell, I mean, you're the one who came and got me at school! You're the one who dragged me back into this, Dean! I'm just trying to finish it!" Dean pauses before replying.

"Well, you and dad are more alike than I thought, you know that?" Dean points out. "You both can't wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing. But you know what? I'm gonna be the one to bury you." I roll my eyes, but I understand where he's coming from. "You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge."

"That's not true, Dean." I tell him as he scoffs. I feel like I'm caught in the middle of these two

"I want dad back," Sam says. "But they are expecting us to bring this gun. They get the gun, they will kill us all. That colt is our only leverage, and you know it, Dean. We cannot bring that gun. We can't."

"Fine." Dean says.

"I'm serious, Dean."

"I said 'fine', Sam." Dean repeats as he takes the colt from his jacket and places it in the trunk reluctantly. Sam walks around Dean, and I walk up to him. I put a hand on his arm, but he shrugs it off and grabs the bag we're taking. It has all the supplies we'll need to get John back.

We walk into Jefferson City and Dean see's something.

"Hey, hey." He says as he gets our attention. "I think I know what Meg meant by 'sunrise'." Sam and I follow his gaze to a sign that says 'Sunrise Apartments'. There are some kids playing outside. "Son of a bitch. That's pretty smart." Dean then turns to us. "I mean, if these demons can possess people, they can possess almost anybody inside."

"Yeah, and make anybody attack us." Sam agrees.

"So we can't kill 'em." I say. "It's a building filled with human shields."

"They probably know exactly what we look like, too," Sam says. "And they could look like anybody."

"Yeah, this sucks out loud." Dean says as he looks around.

"Yeah, alright, so, how the hell are we gonna get in?" Sam asks. I think for a minute.

"We could pull the fire alarm." I throw out there. "It would get everybody out."

"Yeah, but then the city responds in, what, seven minutes." Sam points out.

"Seven minutes, exactly." Dean confirms.

"Alright, so, who's gonna go pull the alarm?" I ask. We look around at each other before Dean and I both stare at Sam. "You're up, Sammy." He rolls his eyes before pushing past us and heading into the building. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, mouthing a prayer once again.

"Since when are you so religious?" Dean asks me. I open my eyes and look at him.

"Since always, Dean." I answer. "I know you aren't, but I just think that the chance of a little more help wouldn't hurt." That's when we hear the fire alarm going off. We wait for the fire engines arrive before walking up to one of the firemen.

"Hey, what's happening? Is it a fire?" Dean asks him.

"We're figuring that out right now, sir." The fireman answers. "Just stay back." He starts guiding us away.

"My Yorkie, Baby, is upstairs." I say, acting as convincingly nervous as I could. "And he pees when he's nervous."

"Ma'am, sir, you have to stay back." The fireman repeats. I look past him to see Sam next to one of the fire engines.

"Ma'am?" I question looking to Dean. "Do I look like a ma'am?" I ask, getting angry now.

"Babe, just calm down." Dean chuckles. "I'm sure he didn't mean it that way." Then he looks to the fireman. "Did you?" This time Dean seems to be threatening the man.

"Of course not." The man says. "Just, please, stay back." We nod to him and back into the crowd. Then, we meet up with Sam who has three fire suit jackets oxygen tanks and helmets. We empty the oxygen tanks and end up putting holy water in them. Then we attach a hose and high tech water gun to them. We get geared up before walking into the building with no problem. Sam ends up carrying the bag and Dean and I handle the EMF detectors. We start walking through the halls checking each door. On the third floor Dean starts talking.

"I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." He says through the oxygen mask. I'm a little taken aback by his words.

"You never told me that." Sam says.

"Yeah, me either." I add. That's when the device in Dean's hand starts going off. Dean bangs on the door. With no answer, he bangs on the door again.

"This is the fire department. We need you to evacuate." Dean says through the mask. There is no answer only the sound of the door being unlocked, so we burst in and start spraying the people with our improvised holy water. They were hurt by the water, so we continue until both of them are on the ground. Once we run out of water the boys attack them and I go ahead and look for John in the apartment. I take off the helmet and go to the bedroom. I see John tied to the bed.

"Shit." I say to myself as I take off the fireman's jacket as quickly as possible. Once it's off, I rush to the bed. I don't try to untie him yet because I don't know the full situation. The boys come in as I get to the bed.

"Dad." I hear Dean say. I put two fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse. I also lean close to his mouth to see if he's breathing. I hear him breathing faintly.

"He's still breathing." I tell the boys. Dean goes to the other side of the bed.

"Dad, wake up." He says as he shakes the man laying on the bed before us. "Dad!" He says a little more urgently. With no response, Dean takes out a knife and starts to cut at the bindings on John's wrist.

"Wait, wait." Sam says to stop him.

"What?" Dean looks up at his brother.

"He could be possessed, Dean." I tell him. "If we weren't dealing with demons I'd have cut him loose before you two even came into the room."

"What, are you nuts?" Dean asks.

"She's right." Sam agrees from the foot of the bed. "We gotta be sure." He reaches into the bag and pulls out a flask of holy water. He unscrews the cap and takes a deep breath before splashing some on his face and chest. He starts to stir, but no violent reactions. The first person he sees is Sam at the foot of the bed.

"Sam?" He asks groggily. "Why are you splashing water on me?" A smile grows on my face as I let out a breath of relief.

"Dad, are you okay?" Dean asks.

"They've been druggin' me." He answers. He takes a few breaths before continuing. "Where's the colt?"

"Don't worry, dad, its safe." Sam answers him. I take out my own knife and start cutting at the bindings on John's wrist and ankle. Dean does the same.

"Good, boys. Good, boys." John says.

"Hey, I'm here too, Old Man." I smile at him, and he smiles back. Once we get him free, Sam hands me the bag and the boys carry him. I leave the room ahead of them only to see the door to the apartment be broken down. "Back, back." I tell the boys, and they turn around to head back into the bedroom. I close the door and lock it, but it doesn't help much when one of them has an axe. As the door is being hacked at the boys head to the window with John. I quickly pull out the salt from the bag and pour a line in front of the door.

"Shelby, let's go!" I hear Dean shout at me from the window. I toss him the bag and climb out the window before turning around and making a salt line on the window sill. Once that's done I run down the fire escape after the boys. I climb down the ladder to the ground and Dean makes sure I don't fall. I grab the bag and Dean helps John to stand again. I don't know where Sam is until he gets tackled by a man possessed by a demon. I hear the scuffle and Dean sets down John by a wall. "Stay with him!" He shouts to me before heading over to help Sam. His rescue mission doesn't last long because the demon sends him flying back into a car windshield.

"Fuck." I curse to myself. I move to help, but John stops me by holding onto my upper arm. Suddenly a shot rings out and John and I look to see that Dean has just shot the demon in the head. As the demon falls I start getting pissed off. "What the fuck, Dean!?" I shout. He just ignores me and goes over to see if Sam is okay. I storm over as he picks his brother off the ground. "Why would you bring that thing with us?" I ask. "This was not part of the plan."

"We can talk about this later, Babe?" He asks me. We hear sirens wail. "Take him." He says, handing Sam to me. "I'll go get dad." I huff in annoyance as I put Sam's arm over my shoulder and help him stay standing.

We find shelter in an abandoned house. Dean brings John to the bedroom as Sam and I salt the doors and windows. When Dean comes out to the main area I turn to look at him with concern.

"How is he?" I ask.

"He just needs a little rest, that's all." He answers before turning to Sam. "How are you, Sam?"

"I'll survive." The youngest Winchester answers. I go back to making sure that I didn't miss a door or window or crack with the salt. You can never be too careful. "Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?"

"I don't know." Dean answers. "I don't think so. I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up."

"Yeah." Sam breathes. Silence envelopes the room as I turn around and set the empty salt tin on a nearby table. "Hey, uh...Dean, you, um...you saved my life back there." Sam says. As much as I didn't like that Dean used the colt for a lowly demon, he did save Sam. I have to be thankful for that.

"so I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?" Dean says with the start of a smirk and I roll my eyes.

"Man, I'm tryin' to thank you here." Sam tells him.

"You're welcome." Dean responds. Sam walks across the room, but I continue to keep my eyes glued to Dean. His expression changes to one of almost regret. "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You know that guy I shot?" He asks. "There was a person in there."

"And?" I ask as I walk closer to him. "You didn't have a choice, Dean. He was gonna kill Sammy."

"I know." He says. "That's not what bothers me."

"Then what's wrong?" I ask, finally reaching him and placing a hand on his back.

"Killing that guy, killing Meg." He says. "I didn't hesitate. I didn't flinch. For you two or dad, the things I'm willing to do or kill, it's just, uh..." He chuckles a bit as I try to rub his back in a consoling manner. "It scares me sometimes." My hand then goes to the back of his neck and continuing to try and make him feel better.

"It shouldn't." A deep voice says from the doorway of the bedroom. All three of us look up at him. "You did good."

"You're not mad?" Dean asks John.

"For what?" John asks.

"Using a bullet." Dean reminds him.

"Mad?" John slightly shakes his head. "I'm proud of you. You know, Sam and I, even Slugger sometimes, we can get pretty obsessed." I nod at his words. "But you, you...you watch out for this family. You always have." I'm happy that John is saying these words, but I feel like something's a bit off with him.

"Thanks." Dean says. Suddenly there is a rumbling and the lights flicker. I hear the winds pick up too. John goes over to one of the windows and we follow him.

"It found us." He tells us. "It's here."

"The demon?" Sam and I ask at the same time.

"Sam, Shel, lines of salt in front of every window, every door." John orders.

"We already did that." Sam tells him.

"Well, check it, okay?" He says.

"Okay." Sam says and I nod before going around the house to make sure we actually got every door and window.

"Dean, you got the gun?" John asks.

"Yeah." Dean answers.

"Give it to me." I pause at his words and look to the two of them by the window.

"Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation and it vanished." Dean tells him.

"This is me, I won't miss." John tells him. I have a gut feeling that something's wrong with John. "Now, the gun. Hurry." I walk up behind Dean and put a hand on his back to let him know I'm here. Dean looks down at the colt in his hand before looking back to John. "Son, please." I grab onto Dean's shirt and slowly walk backwards. "Give me the gun. What are you doing, Dean?"

"You'd be furious." Dean says.

"What?" John asks

"That I wasted a bullet." He continues. "Hell, Shelby was more upset about it than you were. He wouldn't be proud of me. He'd rip me a new one." Dean raises the colt to aim it at John. "You're not my dad." He says after cocking it.

"Dean, it's me." John says.

"I know my dad better than anyone." Dean says. "And you ain't him."

"What the hell's gotten into you?" John asks. "Shel, what's wrong with him?"

"We could ask you the same question." I say from behind Dean, still.

"Stay back." Dean tells him. Sam comes back to us and is surprised at the situation.

"Dean?" He asks. "What the hell's going on?"

"Shelby and your brother have lost their minds." John answers.

"He's not dad." Dean explains to Sam.

"What?" Sam asks.

"I think he's possessed." Dean elaborates for Sam.

"I think he's been possessed since we rescued him." I add.

"Don't listen to 'em, Sammy." John tells him.

"Dean, how do you know?" Sam asks.

"H-he's different." Dean answers.

"You know, we don't have time for this." John says. "Sam, if you wanna kill this demon, you've gotta trust me." I look over to Sam as he looks at us. "Sam?" He looks between us and John.

"No." Sam says. "No." Sam slowly walks over to us and I grab his wrist to pull him behind me.

"Fine." John says. "If you three are so sure. Go ahead. Kill me." There is some emotion in his voice, but I still think he isn't John. Dean doesn't shoot him, but he doesn't lower the gun either. "I thought so." The tone of John's voice changes, and now I am completely sure that is not John Winchester. When he lifts his head I see those horrible yellow eyes that have haunted my dreams. Immediately, Sam is tossed into and stuck to the wall, then Dean and me. Dean drops the colt. Yellow eyes bore into me until I can see nothing. I scream in fear of what is going to happen. What will he do? "What a pain in the ass this thing's been." I hear John's voice. He must be talking about the colt.

"It's you isn't it?" Sam asks.

"Of course it is, Sam." I say, trying to slow down my breathing.

"We've been looking for you for a long time." Sam tells him.

"What took you so long?" John's voice asks. I can hear him smiling. "I've been invading little Shelby's dreams for a while now. But, you finally found me."

"Why didn't the holy water work?" I ask.

"Oh, come on, Slugger, you think something like that works on something like me?" I hear Sam grunt, probably trying to get off the wall to charge at the demon.

"I'm gonna kill you." Sam tells him.

"Oh, that would be a neat trick." The demon replies. "In fact, here. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy." There's a pause before he chuckles. I hear his steps coming towards me. "Well, this is fun. I could've killed you a hundred times today, but this..." He lets out a breath. "This is worth the wait." He touches my cheek and I flinch away.

"Get away from her!" I hear Dean yell before grunting.

"Your dad...he's in here with me," He taunts as he turns away from me. "Trapped inside his own meat suit. He says 'hi', by the way. He's gonna tear you apart...He's gonna taste the iron in your blood."

"Let 'im go." I hear Dean say softly. "Or I swear to God-"

"What? What are you and God gonna do?" The demon asks. "You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice." Where is he? Fuck, why can't I catch my breath? I need to see! "You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter."

"So the demon apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I try to get him away from the boys and paying attention to me. But, he just ignores me.

"The one in the alley?...That was my boy...You understand?" The demon says.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Dean whispers.

"What? You're the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children." He says. "How would you feel if I killed your family?...Oh, that's right. I forgot. I did." Now I'm getting pissed. I try to break away from the wall only to be slammed back into it. "Still, two wrongs don't make a right."

"You son of a bitch." Dean says.

"I wanna know why." Sammy says. "Why'd you do it?"

"You mean, why'd I kill mommy and pretty, little Jess?"

"Yeah." Sam confirms.

"You know, I never told you this, but Sam was gonna ask her to marry him." My breath hitches as he continues. "Been shopping for rings and everything." He walks over to, I assume, Sam. "You wanna know why?...Because they got in the way." At those words I feel tears coming to my eyes. I hold in a sob.

"In the way of what?" Sam asks.

"My plans for you, Sammy..." He says. "You...and all the children like you...Isn't that right Shelby?" I close my eyes to focus on not showing my true emotions right now. "You would have been an uncle if it weren't for me." He chuckles. "Your dad would have been a grandpa."

"Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? 'Cause I really can't stand the monologuing." Dean says.

"Funny," The demon reacts. "But that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Mask all that nasty pain, mask the truth."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Dean asks.

"You know, you fight, and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don't need you." He says. "Not like you need them. Sam...He's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you. And Shelby, well, she's the daughter he never had."

"I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh?" Dean says. "Oh, wait, I forgot. I wasted 'em." There's a long pause before I hear Dean shout out in pain.

"Dean!" Sam and I shout out. I hear Dean moaning in pain.

"No!" Sam shouts.

"Leave him alone!" I scream. I can't do anything as his pained cries continue. I finally let out a sob I've been holding in, and tears make their way down my cheeks. "Stop it!"

"Dad!" Dean yells. "Dad, don't you let it kill me!" He only grunts in pain again.

"Dean!" Sam shouts. I just scream at the situation. Make it stop! Please, I'll do anything! I say in my head. I hear Sam grunting, then Dean's grunts subside and I start balling. I can't stop the cries from coming out of my mouth. "Dean! No!"

"Stop." I hear John say. It's the real John, I can feel it. "Stop it." I drop to the floor as I gain my sight back. I look around the room and see Dean still pushed against the wall. Sam runs over to the table to grab the colt and aims it at John. When he turns around Yellow Eyes has taken back control.

"You kill me, you kill daddy." He says in John's voice.

"I know." Sam says before aiming the gun at John's knee and shooting. John falls to the ground and then Dean's body falls to the ground, limp. I rush over as he gasps for air. I cradle his head in my lap.

"Dean? Dean? Hey, baby." I say as I stroke his hair.

"Oh, God. You lost a lot of blood." Sam says as he comes over to us.

"Where's dad?" Dean asks. I look over to the other man on the ground.

"He's right here." Sam says. "He's right here, Dean."

"Go check on him, Sammy." I tell him. Sam nods to me and goes over to check on John.

"Dad?" I hear him ask. "Dad?"

"Sammy!" John shouts, making me jump a little. "It's still alive. It's inside me. I can feel it. You shoot me." My head snaps up to look at him. "You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, son! Do it, now!"

"Sam, don't you do it." Dean says. "Don't you do it."

"Shh." I tell him as I try to hold back tears.

"You gotta hurry." John tells him. "I can't hold onto it much longer. You shoot me, son! Shoot me! Son, I'm beggin' you! We can end this here and now! Sammy!"

"Sam, no." Dean says.

"You do this!" John shouts. "Sammy!" Sam lowers the gun. "Sam, Sam..." Suddenly, black smoke pours out of his mouth, just like with Meg. The smoke seeps through the floor, and I sigh in relief. This is not over by a long shot, but at least it's over for now. Dean goes completely limp with his eyes closed.

"No, no, no, Dean! Wake up!" I slap him lightly on the face. "Fuck! We need to get to a hospital, now!" I shout.

"Alright, I'll grab Dean. You help dad." Sam says as he runs over to me. I stand up and run over to John to help him to his feet. He's exhausted and limping, but it's better than the limp weight of Dean's body. I load John into the font passenger seat of the Impala and get into the back seat. Sam then comes out and lays Dean across the back seat with his head resting on my lap. Quickly, he runs to the driver's seat and starts up the car. I'm quiet as I run my fingers through Dean's short hair. I close my eyes and pray for him to live. I feel tears escape my eyes as I block out everything else in the world. Please, let him live. I'd be lost without him.

Out of nowhere, a semi truck crashes into us. It pushes us for a long time. When we stop, the door opens. Because I hadn't put my seatbelt on in my hurry to leave, I am thrown from the car. I look back at the car and gasp for breath. I can't catch my breath. The boys are still in the car, but they aren't moving. Everything starts to go black as I reach for the car. Then everything goes black.

A/N: Ahhh! I finished Season 1. What do you think about the ending? I have a general plan of where things are going with Shelby. I'll just have to take it episode by episode with this story. Thank you all for reading, and for hanging in there with my sporadic updates. I cannot promise I will be better with the updates, but I can promise that I will be continuing this story. Again, thank you for reading and I can't wait to read your reviews/comments.


	14. In My Time Of Dying

Sam's POV

I come to from the crash and I hear footsteps coming around the car to the driver's side of the Impala. I try to lift my head, but I find it too painful. I don't hear anything except for those footsteps. I don't even hear the soft prayers she was whispering. Maybe she didn't know she was speaking so loud, but dad and I could hear her words easily from the front seat. The footsteps stop at my door and I grab the colt from my jacket. The door is pulled off as I aim at the demon standing before me.

"Get back or I'll kill you. I swear to God." I croak out at the black-eyed man.

"You won't." Came the reply. "You're saving that bullet for someone else." I cock the gun and continue aiming at the demon.

"You wanna bet?" I ask him. He pauses for a second before vacating the man. The black smoke leaves as the man comes to his senses. I put the colt away and relax as I hear the man freaking out. "Dad?" I call to the man in the passenger seat. No response. "Dad...Dean" I try. Knowing he had probably been unconscious even before the crash. No response. "Shelby..." Again, no response. "Shelby!" I shout as I panic. What if they're all dead? What am I gonna do?" It's not until the light of day reaches us that the emergency vehicles and workers, that the truck driver called, arrive. They take Dean and Shelby and dad by helicopter, but because my injuries are non-life-threatening they take me in an actual ambulance. I keep asking if they're gonna be okay, but they give me no real helpful information.

Shelby's POV

There's a bright light before me, but I'm not in a tunnel. The light is an entity. An astral being. I just gaze at it in awe.

"My child." It speaks to me.

"Dad?" I ask. It doesn't sound like him, but what else could it mean.

"No." It tells me. As I continue to stare into the orb of light, I begin to see wings. I gasp.

"You're an angel." I say.

"Yes."

"Have you come to take me away?" I ask.

"No. In fact I am here to send you back." The angel says. "You have much to do. You have people to protect."

Dean's POV

I sit up and realize that I'm in a hospital room. I look down at myself and see that I have on a white V-neck t-shirt and some loose fitting pants. I see no one in the room with me so I jump off the bed. As I walk into the hallway I notice that the halls are deserted. Strange.

"Sam?" I call out. No response. "Dad?" I call out again after looking into the empty room across from me. No answer. "Shelby?" Again, no answer. I walk down the hall to see if I an find any person to help me look for my family or direct me in the right direction. "Anybody!?" I reach the stairs at the end of the hall and walk down them slowly. This is the quietest hospital I've ever been in. It's sort of freaking me out. I see someone at the desk. "Excuse me." I call out to her, but she doesn't even react to my words. "Hi..." I say as I reach the window in front of the desk. "I-uh...I think I was in a car accident with my girlfriend and my dad and my brother. I just need to find 'em." The woman just ignores me completely. "Hello?" I ask when I notice that she isn't even reacting to me being in front of her. I snap and wave in front of her face and it still doesn't get her attention. Alright, I'm a little freaked out now. I retrace my steps and go back to the room I started in. I look through the door and see me hooked up to a bunch of machines. Now I'm really freaking out. What the fuck is going on?

I stand by the door in my room trying to process everything going on right now. How can I be in that bed when I'm right here? I refuse to believe I'm a ghost. All those machines are supposed to be keeping me alive. I don't move until I see Sammy walk in. He walks right by me.

"Sammy." I say. "You look good...considering." I chuckle awkwardly as he ignores me.

"Oh no." I hear him whisper.

"Man, tell me you can hear me." I beg as I walk to the other side of the hospital bed. I look at his face and it is not an expression telling me that he can hear me. It's more like shock and sorrow at my tubed up body on the bed. "How's dad and Shelby?" I ask, just in case he can hear me. "Are they okay?" He doesn't answer me. "Come on, you're the psychic. I mean, give me some ghost whispering or something.

"Your father's awake." Came a voice from the door. I look up to see a man in a doctor's coat. "You can go see him if you like."

"And Shelby?" Sam asks.

"Well, she's still in a coma." Came the reply. "Her injuries were minor enough for her to be okay. So, she should wake up relatively soon. If you would like to visit her, too, you can." The doctor tells Sam.

"Oh, thank God." I say. It seems like she just needs a kiss from her prince charming to wake up. I think about it and my posture slumps. Will she even know I'm with her?

"Doc, What about my brother?" Sam asks.

"Well, he sustained serious injury. Blood loss, contusions to his liver and kidney." The doctor explains. "But it's the head trauma I'm worried about. There's early signs of cerebral edema."

"Well, what can we do?" Sam asks.

"Well, we won't know his full condition until he wakes up." There's a pause before he continues. " _If_ he wakes up."

"If?" Sam asks, surprised.

"I have to be honest..." The doc begins.

"Screw you, doc, I'm wakin' up." I tell him, but he can't hear me.

"Most people with his degree of injury wouldn't have survived this long." The doctor continues. "He's fighting very hard. But you need to have realistic expectations, son."

"Come on, Sam." I say to him. "Go find some hoodoo priest to lay some mojo on me. I'll be fine." Sam just looks shocked at the doctor's words once again. "Sam?"

Sam's POV

I head to Dad's room. He's awake, as the doctor said. I tell dad the basics of Dean's condition and that Shelby should be waking up soon. In a break in the conversation he pulls out his wallet, opens it, and pulls out an insurance card.

"Alright. Here. Give 'em my insurance." Dad says, handing me the card. I look at the card and I feel a slight smile grows on my face.

"Elroy McGillicuddy?" I ask him as I slightly chuckle at the name on the card.

"And his two loving sons and daughter in law." Dad adds. I look down to the floor. "So...What else did the doctor say about Dean?"

"Nothin'." I answer truthfully. The worst is all there really is. "Look...if the doctors won't do anything, then we'll have to. That's all." I say as I grow more determined. "I don't know. I'll find some...hoodoo priest and lay some mojo on 'I'm." Where did that come from? It sounds like something Dean would say.

"We'll look for someone." Dad says.

"Yeah." I agree.

"But, Sam...I don't know if we're gonna find anyone."

"Why not?" I ask him. "I found that faith healer before."

"That was, that was one in a million." He tells me.

"So what? What then? We just sit here with our thumbs up our ass?"

"No, I said we'd look." For some reason I feel like Dad's already given up. "Alright? I'll check under every stone." He pauses before continuing. "Where's the colt?" I'm a little shocked at his question.

"Your son is dying, and you're worried about the colt?" I ask him in disgust.

"We are hunting this demon, and maybe it's hunting us, too." He tells me. "That gun may be our only card."

"It's in the trunk." I tell him. He does have a point. "They dragged the car to a yard off of I-83."

"Alright, you gotta clean out that trunk before some junk man sees what's inside."

"I already called Bobby. He's like an hour out. He's gonna toe the impala back to his place." I say. "I had to practically beg him to do that instead of coming here to be with Shelby."

"Alright. You, you go meet up with Bobby. You get that colt and you bring it back to me. And you watch out for hospital security." Dad tells me.

"I think I got it covered." With that, I stand up and head to the door.

"Hey." Dad says to get my attention. I turn to look at him from the door. "Here." He picks up a piece of paper and holds it out to me. "I made a list of things I need. Have Bobby pick 'em up for me." I look at the list I was just given.

"Acacia?" I ask about the item on the list. "Oil of Abramelin? What's this stuff for?"

"Protection." Came the answer. I have a feeling he's lying to me, but what am I supposed to do? I walk towards the door again only to stop myself and turn back to him.

"Hey, dad...you know the demon." I say. "He said he had plans for me and children like me...like Shelby. You have any idea what he meant by that?" I ask him.

"No, I don't." He answers. I figured since the demon was inside him, he might have gotten some hint of what the damn thing is planning. I accept his answer and leave his room. I head down the hall to where Shelby's room is located and peak my head in. It's strange to see her just laying there alone. She does look beautiful, like an angel, even with her injuries from the accident. My brother is a lucky man. I wonder how I'd tell her about Dean if she wakes up before we figure things out. I walk over to the chair on the other side of her bed and sit down before grabbing her hand.

"Hey, Shel." I start. "I read somewhere that patients in comas can still hear and feel things going on around them." I rub my thumb across her knuckles. "I want you to hear this from me...But I don't want you to hear this either." I pause again. "Dean's condition isn't so great. Dad and I are gonna try everything we can, but I seem to be the only one with any faith that we'll fix all this." I feel a slight movement of her fingers and I smile. I bring her hand up to kiss the back of it. "I have to go get some things for dad. I'll be back as soon as I can." I stand before leaning over and kissing her forehead. Reluctantly, I leave her room and head to the junk yard to meet up with Bobby.

Shelby's POV

I hear every word of Sam's, and I'm just in shock. I had tried to grab onto Sam's hand for support, but I only felt my hand twitch slightly. I turn to the orb of light as I feel tears form in my eyes.

"Be honest with me." I tell it. "Is Dean gonna make it?" I ask. There is a long pause. It's like the angel was deciding whether to tell me the truth or not.

"It is a crossroads, child." It finally answers. "It depends on the actions of the ones around him." As I blink, trying to take in the answer, the built up tears finally fall down my cheeks.

"I need him to live." I tell the angel. "I don't know what I would do without him."

"Have you forgotten when you traveled on your own?" It asks.

"That's different." I sob.

"How so?"

"I thought about him every day we were apart. No matter what I did, or who I was with, there was always something that reminded me of him." I sob some more as I sink to my knees. "I always knew he would be there if I felt like talking to him. If he dies...I won't have that. It would be too final. I feel like I have so much more to say to him, to do with him." I don't even try to hold back my tears. "If he's going to die, I need to say goodbye first. If he dies before I wake up..." I say as I wipe away my tears. "I'll bring him back just to kill him again for leaving me." The angel says nothing. "No, I refuse to believe he'll just die without a fight. He'll live. I know it." I try to convince myself.

"If you say so."

Sam's POV

I meet Bobby at the junk yard and as we come up on the impala my jaw drops. Dean's Baby was mangled. It's completely crumpled in on the passenger side. I don't understand how dad isn't in a similar position to Dean. With how the car looks, we should all be dead.

"Oh, man." I sigh. "Dean is gonna be pissed." I say to Bobby. We look at each other before walking up to it.

"Shelby loves this car as much as Dean." Bobby says. "She's gonna be devastated." I nod at his words. "Look, Sam, this...this just ain't worth a tow." bobby looks under the hood as I take a closer look at the mangled half of the car. "I say we empty the trunk, and sell the rest for scrap." I reach into the back seat and see my laptop. I grab it only for it to also be destroyed. I look up at Bobby.

"No." I say simply. "Dean would kill me if we did that." Bobby looks at me with skepticism. "When he gets better, he's gonna wanna fix this." I say as I put my broken laptop on the top of the car.

"There's nothin' to fix." Bobby says as he begins to walk around the wreck of a car. "The frame's a pretzel. The engine's ruined. there's barely any parts worth salvaging."

"Now, listen to me, Bobby," I tell him. "If there's only one working part, that's enough. We're not just gonna give up on..." My words drop off as I look back at the car.

"Okay." Bobby says. "You got it." It's then that I remember the list dad gave me.

"Here, uh...dad asked if you could get this stuff for him." I say as I hand him the list. He looks over it.

"What's John want with this?" He asks me.

"Protection from the demon." I tell him what dad told me. He looks at me with confusion. "W-what?" I ask him.

"Nothing. It's just, uh..." Bobby says as he shakes his head.

"Bobby." I want him to tell me what's wrong. "What's goin' on?"

Dean's POV

I'm standing in my hospital room with dad sitting next to my tubed up body. He's just sitting there. He isn't saying anything. What is he here for? What is he planning with that list of items he sent with Sammy?

"Come on, dad." I say, trying to get him to hear me. "You gotta help me. I gotta get better. I gotta get back in there." He doesn't reply. "I mean, you haven't called a soul for help. You haven't even tried. Aren't you gonna do anything?" As my words become unanswered I get more angry. "Aren't you even gonna say anything?" He stays silent. "I've done everything you've ever asked me." I say. "Everything. I've given everything I've ever had. Now you're just gonna sit there, and you're gonna watch me die? I mean, what the hell kind of father are you?" I begin to hear a rumbling. It starts low and gradually gets louder. "What is that?" I ask as I look around the room before walking towards the door. As I get to the door to my room something rushes in front of me as it goes down the hallway. I look back at dad before looking back down the hallway. "I take it you didn't see that."

I chase the rushing thing down a couple of hallways as I continue to hear the rumbling. As I pass one of the rooms I feel the thing pass behind me. I turn to see it go into another room. I look into the room to see a woman on the ground gasping for breath. She chokes out a cry for help.

"Hey!" I yell down the hall, hoping someone will hear me. "I need some help in here!" Of course, no one can hear me. I turn back to the woman. She can't breathe. As I kneel next to her, her breathing completely stops. What the hell is happening here? I run back to my room but decide to make a detour.

I haven't seen her since all this happened. I need to know for myself if she'll be okay. I need to see if she can hear me. There are so many things I need to tell her, including what I just saw. I step into her room and my jaw drops. her injuries look minor, but she's breathing on her own. She's not connected by a bunch of tubes like me. An IV and the beeping of a heart monitor are the only hints that she's a patient here. I walk up to the chair on the other side of the bed and sit down. I take a deep breath before grabbing onto her hand.

"Hey Babe." I say, trying not to freak out completely about what I had just seen. "I know I'm in a difficult situation right now. I bet Sammy's told you he's gonna try and bring me from the brink of death, but we need to be prepared for the real possibilities here. I know that." I feel tears well up in my eyes. "I don't know what I would do if I never got to see you again." I chuckle as I wipe away the tears that fall. "That makes it sound like _you're_ gonna die. But, you're gonna make it. I know you are. You're the strongest woman I know. Things are getting really freaky around here. No one can see me. No one can hear me, and there's something going around this hospital and killing people. I'm gonna find a way to let Sammy know, but I can't promise anything." I stand up and lean over to rest my forehead on hers. "I want you to know that I love you so much. I hope I'm able to say that to you from my actual mouth, when you can actually hear me." I pull back enough to be able to kiss her on the lips before leaving the room to go back to mine.

Shelby's POV

I feel tears streaming down my face as I hear Dean leave my room. I heard every word, and I feel so helpless. I'm stuck in my own body. I'm trying to wake up, but I can't. The angel keeps telling me I will wake when the time is right, but I want to wake up now. I need to help Sam. I need to tell him what Dean's spirit, I assume, just told me. Something is killing people in this hospital and I can't do anything to prevent it.

Dean's POV

I'm in dad's room, trying to get him to hear me. My words aren't even acknowledged, so I just sit around waiting for Sam to get back. He finally enters the room and I try to tell him about everything I've seen.

"Sammy, tell me you can freakin' hear me, man." I say, but he ignores them. "There's somethin' in the hospital. Now, you gotta bring me back, and we gotta hunt this thing." No response from him. "Sam!"

"You're quiet." Dad says. Sam turns around to face him and he looks pissed. He throws his bag on the ground.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Sam asks him.

"What are you talkin' about?" Dad asks.

"That stuff from Bobby. You don't use it to ward off a demon, you use it to summon one." What the hell is dad thinking of doing? Why's he trying to bring the damn thing here? "You're planning on bringing the demon here, aren't you? Having some stupid macho showdown."

"I have a plan Sam."

"That's exactly my point!" Sam yells. "Dean is dying, and you have a plan! You know what? You care more about killing this demon than you do saving your own son!" I walk closer as I feel the rage shooting off of him.

"No, no, no, guys, don't do this." I say as I try to get in between them. "If Shel was here, she'd smack you both. Come on!"

"Do not tell me how I feel." Dad says. "I am doing this for Dean." I look to him in confusion.

"How?" Sam asks. "How is revenge gonna help him? You're not thinking about anybody but yourself! It's the same selfish obsession!" I bring my hand up to my face in frustration.

"Come on guys, don't do this!" I try to stop them, but they keep going.

"That's funny." Dad says. "I thought this was your obsession, too. This demon killed your mother, killed your girlfriend. You begged me to be part of this hunt! Now, if you killed that damn thing when you had the chance, none of this would have happened!"

"It was possessing you, dad. I would have killed you, too."

"Yeah, and your brother and Shelby would be awake right now!" Dad shouts.

"Shut up, both of you!" I shout.

"Go to hell." Sam tells him. I look around the room as my frustration with their arguing grows.

"Oh, you know what, I should have never taken you along in the first place." Dad says. "I knew it was a mistake."

"I said, shut up!" I scream as I hit the glass of water off the table. The glass shattering on the ground causes them both to stop and look at it then look at each other. "Dude, I full-on Swayzied that mother." Sure, I was able to touch Shelby, but I didn't know I could actually move things. I begin to hear the rumbling again. I start losing my breath and the strength in my legs. I kneel on the ground in pain, trying to fight whatever's happening to me. "Holy cow, what is..."

"Something's goin' on out there." Dad says. He motions for Sam to go check it out. Sam leaves and I find some sort of strength to stand and follow him. I see him at the door to my room. "Shit!" I say as I try to go faster. I finally make it and I look into the room. There are a bunch of doctors and nurses trying to keep me alive. Suddenly, the thing that's been killing people appears, floating above my body.

"You get the hell away from me." I tell it as I walk into the room, past Sam. "Stay back!" It ignores me. "I said get back!" I hear my yell echo through the room. Again, it ignores me, so I decide to grab onto the damn thing. That finally gets its attention. It throws me back into the wall and looks at me before leaving out the door. I chase it down the hall, but it disappears. I walk back to my room. I'm stable now. "Don't worry, Sammy. I'm not going anywhere." I tell him. "I'm gettin' that thing before it gets me. It's some kind of spirit, but I could grab it. And if I can grab it, I can kill it." Sam looks towards me, but he can't see me. He looks right through me, and it's kind of creepy.

I end up searching the hospital for the damn thing, but I can't find it anywhere. I get to one of the open areas and hear a voice.

"Can't you see me!?" The female voice shouts. "Why won't you look at me!?" I pause and look around.

"Now what?" I ask myself. I follow the voice to the stairs I had gone down before.

"Somebody talk to me!" She shouts. "Say something, please!" I was on the first floor as she was walking up the stairs.

"Can you see me?" I ask her. She turns around to look at me.

"Yeah." She breathes. I grow excited as I walk up the stairs to her.

"Alright, just, uh...calm down." I tell her. "What's your name?"

"Tessa." She answers.

"Okay, good, Tessa, I'm Dean."

"What's happening to me?" She asks me. "Am I-am I dead?"

"That sort of depends." I tell her. She leads me to the room where her body is. We both look in on her, and she is on life support, like me."

"I don't understand." She says. "I just came in for an appendectomy."

"I hate to bear bad news, but...I think there were some complications." I tell her.

"It's just a dream, that's all." She says. "This is just a very weird, unbelievably vivid dream."

"Tessa, it's not a dream." I tell her.

"Then what else could it be?"

"You ever heard of an out-of-body experience?" I ask her.

"What are you, some new-agey guy?"

"You see me messin' with crystals or listening to Yanni?" I retort. "It's actually a very old idea. It's got a lot of different names: bilocation, crisis apparitions, fetches. I think it's happening to us. If it is...it means that we're spirits...of people close to death." She looks back at her body before looking back at me.

"So, we're gonna die?"

"No. Not if we hold on." I tell her. "Our bodies can get better. You can snap right back in there and wake up."

Sam's POV

I definitely felt something when I went to watch them revive Dean. It's like he was there. It's hard to explain. Never the less, I try to tell dad about it.

"What do you mean you felt something? He asks me.

"I mean, it-it felt like...like Dean." I answer. "Like he was there, just outta eyeshot or something. I don't know if it's my psychic thing or what. But do you think it's even possible?" I ask. "Do you think his spirit could be around?"

"Anything's possible." Dad says.

"Well, there's one way to find out." I say before heading for the door.

"Where are you goin'?" he asks me.

"I gotta pick something up." I tell him. "I'll be back."

"Wait, Sam." he stops me again. "I promise I won't hunt this demon, not until we know Dean's okay." I nod at his words before leaving to try out my idea.

Dean's POV

"Now, I gotta say, I'm impressed." I tell Tessa as we walk down one of the many halls in the building.

"With what?"

"You." I say. "Most people in your spot would be Jello by now, but, uh, you're takin' this pretty well." I chuckle a bit. "Maybe a little better than me."

"Don't get me wrong," She starts. "I was pretty freaked at first, but now I don't know. Maybe I'm dealing."

"So, you're okay with dying?" I ask her. She scoffs.

"No, of course not. I just think whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. It's outta my control. It's just fate."

"Hmm." I react. "That's crap." She looks at me with confusion. "You always have a choice. You can either roll over and die or you can keep fightin' no matter what." There's a commotion as doctors and nurses rush down the hall behind us. I look down the hall and follow them as Tess asks where I'm going. "Just wait here." I tell her as I run down the hall. I get to the room and see the thing floating above the girl in the bed. It reaches down to touch her. "Get away from her!" I shout as I rush into the room. It vanishes before I can reach it. The doctors stop what they're doing and all it. They declare her dead. I was too late.

"At least she's not suffering anymore." I hear one of the nurses say. I need to stop this damn thing.

Sam's POV

I'm back from the store. I hope this thing works. Should I try it out in Shelby's room first? Maybe he'll be there with her. But, I didn't feel any spirits when I was in her room. I'll just go to Dan's room. That's where I felt it, so that's where I'll try this. I enter the room and my heart sinks as I look at his condition.

"Hey." I say as I walk up to his bedside. "I think maybe you're around. And if you are, don't make fun of me for this, but, um..." I look to the brown bag I have under my arm. "But there's one way we can talk." I pull the board out of the bag and walk over to the open part of the room.

Dean's POV

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." I say with my arms crossed in front of my chest. Reluctantly I follow him. He sits on the floor and sets the board up. I hate this idea, but maybe I'll actually be able to tell him what's going on. He sighs before starting.

"Dean?" He asks. He looks around the room. "Dean, are you here?"

"God, I feel like I'm at a slumber party." I say as I sit down across from him. "Alright, Sam." I sigh. "This isn't gonna work." I take a deep breath before placing my finger tips on the moving plastic piece that he has his on. I start to move the piece to my answer slowly. Sam reacts with surprise, and I can't believe it myself. "I'll be damned." He laughs lightly.

"Oh, it's good to hear from you, man." He says. It hasn't been the same without you Dean."

"Damn straight." I say without moving the plastic piece.

"I think I already know the answer to this, but...Is Shelby with you?" Sam asks.

"I wish she were with either one of us instead of being out of the game for now." I say before moving the piece to 'no'. He nods and lets out a breath. I begin to move the plastic piece to tell him what's going on. He looks down at it.

"Dean, what?" Sam says. "H...U...Hunt?" He guesses correctly. "What, 'hunting'? Are you hunting?" He asks. I move the piece to 'yes'. "Dean, it's in the hospital. What are you hunting?" He asks. "Do you know what it is?"

"One question at a time dude." I say as I focus on moving the piece.

"What is it?" He asks. I talk as I spell out an answer.

"I don't think it's killing people." I say. "I think it's taking them...you know, when...when their time's just up."

"The Reaper." Sam says as he reads what I spelled out. "Dean..." I look up at him. "Is it after you?" I move the plastic piece to 'yes' before letting go. "If it's here naturally, there's no way to stop it."

"Yeah, you can't kill death." I agree.

"Man, you're, uh..."

"I'm screwed, Sam." I say truthfully.

"No." He says. "No, no, no. There's gotta be a way." He says as he stands up. "There's gotta be a way. Dad'll know what to do." He leaves my room to tell dad what he just found out. Soon he comes back and sits on the edge of my hospital bed. "Hey, so, dad wasn't in his room." he says.

"Where is he?" I ask.

"But I got dad's journal, so who knows? Maybe there's somethin' in here." I walk over his shoulder at the pages of the journal.

"Thanks for not givin' up on me, Sammy." I tell him as I look at my body just lying there. As I look back at the journal Sam's found a page all about Reapers. What I read pisses me off. "Son of a bitch." I say before leaving my room. I storm over to the room Tessa had shown me before. This time it's empty except for her sitting on the bed in a different outfit.

"Hi, Dean." She says.

"You know, you read the most interesting things." I say. "For example, did you know that reapers can alter human perception?" I ask with a dark chuckle. "I sure didn't." She just looks at me. "Basically, they can make themselves appear however they want...like, say, a pretty girl. You're much prettier than the last reaper I met."

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out." She finally speaks.

"I should have known." I say. "That whole 'accepting fate' rap of yours is far too laid back for a dead chick. But, you know, the mother and the body. I'm still trying to figure that one out." I say as I begin to pace.

"It's my sandbox." She answers. "I can make you see whatever I want."

"What is this, like a turn-on for you, huh? Toyin' with me?"

"You didn't give me much choice." She says. "You saw my true form, and you flipped out. Kinda hurts a girl's feelings. This was the only way I could get you to talk to me."

"Okay, fine." I say. "We're talking. What the hell do you wanna talk about?" She stands from the bed before answering.

"How death is nothing to fear. It's your time to go, Dean." She reaches up a hand to touch my face. "And you're living on borrowed time already."

Sam's POV

Dean are you here?" I ask the room. There's no response. "Couldn't find anything in the book." I tell him. "I don't know how to help you. But I'll keep tryin' alright? As long as you keep fightin'. I mean, come on, you can't...you can't leave me here alone with dad." I say. "Sure Shelby, might be a good buffer, but I don't know what she'd do if she found out you didn't make it. She could run away from us and go out on her own, for all I know. And if dad and I are left alone we'll kill each other. You know that. Dean, you gotta hold on. You can't go, man, not now. We were just starting to be brothers again. You and Shelby were just starting to be like your old selves around each other. Can you hear me?"

Dean's POV

"Look, I'm sure you've heard this before, but...you gotta make an acception." I tell her. "You gotta-you gotta cut me a break."

"Stage three, bargaining." She says.

"I'm serious." I tell her. "My family's in danger. See, we're kinda in the middle of this, uh...war. And they need me."

"The fight's over." She tells me.

"No it isn't."

"It is for you." She can't mean that. "Dean...you're not the first soldier I've plucked from the field. They all feel the same. They can't leave. Victory hangs in the balance. But they're wrong. The battle goes on without them."

"My brother, he could die without me."

"Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. Nothing you can do about it." She says. I don't say anything I just go to stand by the bed. "It's an honorable death, a warrior's death."

"I think I'll pass on the 72 virgins, thanks." I comment. "I'm not that into prude chicks anyway."

"That's funny. You're very cute. But we both know that's not true." Her words make me think about what Shelby was like when I first fell in love with her. She was a fierce hunter, but anything to do with even public displays of affection would make her shy or nervous.

"There's no such thing as an honorable death." I tell her. "My corpse is gonna rot in the ground, and my family is gonna die." I just look at her. "No. I'm not goin' with you. I don't care what you do."

"Well, like you said...there's always a choice. I can't make you come with me." She tells me as she walks towards me. "But, you're not getting back in your body, and that's just facts. So, yes, you can stay. You'll stay here for years, disembodied, scared. And over the decades it'll probably drive you mad. Maybe you'll even get violent."

"What are you sayin'?"

"Dean, how do you think angry spirits are born?" She asks me. "They can't let go, and they can't move on. And you're about to become one...the same thing you hunt." We end up sitting on the bed. "It's time to put the pain behind you."

"And go where?" I ask.

"Sorry." She says. "I can't give away the big punch line." We stay in silence as I momentarily think about taking her deal. Of going wherever she brings me. "Moment of truth. No changing your mind later. So what's it going to be?" I take a long few moments to gather up all the information in my head. Maybe this is the best decision. Shelby will find someone new, no problem, and she can help Sam in whatever he decides to do. I turn my head to look at her and the lights flicker. I look to 'Tessa' and she looks a bit freaked out, which confuses me. I stand up and look to her.

"What are you doing that for?" I ask her.

"I'm not doing it." She tells me. We look at a vent on the other side of the room and a black smoke seeps through.

"What the hell." It looks like what a demon would if they didn't have a body to inhabit.

"You can't do this!" She yells to the smoke. "Get away!" I watch as the smoke crawls up 'Tessa's' body.

"What's happening?" I ask. My only answer is a scream from 'Tessa' as the cloud forces itself into her mouth. It's truly terrifying. When she turns around, I know exactly which demon just possessed her. The yellow eyes give it away.

"Today's your lucky day, kid." Are the words that came out of her mouth. She comes towards me and puts a hand on my head. Suddenly I'm thrown back into my body.

Sam's POV

I feel like I've let Dean down. I've let Shelby down. What's she gonna do? I'm not lost in my thoughts too long before I hear a gasp coming from Dean's body on the bed. I look over and my jaw drops.

"Dean!" I react. I look out to the hallway. "Help! I need help!"

John's POV

I need to see if that yellow-eyed bastard kept his end of the bargain, but I have to stop by and talk to Shelby. I need to air out everything. I step into the room and see her lying there. I smile, knowing she'll be alright. Maybe Dean waking up will cause her to wake up. Maybe they're soul mates, and this'll prove it. That's how I felt about Mary. I sit in the chair and grab her hand.

"How you feelin', Slugger?" I ask, knowing she won't answer me. "I want you to know that Dean will be just fine. You're not gonna like how I did it, but I can't take it back. I traded the colt and my life for him, so I wanted to say goodbye. I need you to watch out for my boys. They're gonna need help through this." I squeeze her hand before standing up. "You're the best daughter-in-law a guy could ask for. I love you, Slugger." I lean over and kiss the top of her head. "Stay strong." With that, I finally move on to check on Dean.

Sam's POV

Once Dean is fully settled, they run a few tests on him. As we wait for the results, I ask Dean about what it was like to be a spirit. He had no clue what I was talking about, so I explain everything that happened from my side. We stop talking when the doctor comes back to talk to us.

"I can't explain it. The edema's vanished. The internal contusions are healed." He says. "Your vitals are good. You gotta have some kinda angel watchin' over you."

"Thanks, Doc." Dean says. The doctor then leaves the room. Dean looks to me. "So, you said a reaper was after me?"

"Yeah." I answer.

"How'd I ditch it?" He asks.

"You got me." I say as Dean looks around the room confused. "Dean, you really don't remember anything?"

"No...except this pit in my stomach." Dean says. "Sam, something's wrong." There's a knock on the door, and both of us look over to see dad standing there.

"How you feelin', dude?" He asks Dean.

"Fine, I guess." Dean answers. "I'm alive."

"That's what matters." Dad says.

"Where were you last night?" I ask him.

"I had some things to take care of." He answers.

"Well, that's specific." I say.

"Come on, Sam." Dean says, trying to stop a fight from happening between dad and I.

"Did you go after the demon?" I ask him.

"No." He answers me.

"You know, why don't I believe you right now?" I ask him. He walks farther into the room.

"Can we not fight?" He asks. I just look at him. "You know, half the time we're fightin', I don't know what we're fightin' about. We're just buttin' heads. Look, Sammy, I've...I've made some mistakes. But I've always done the best I could. I just don't wanna fight anymore, okay?" He says, and I hear a little bit of emotion waver his voice.

"Dad, are you alright?" I ask him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just a little tired." He says. "Hey, son, would you mind, uh...would you mind gettin' me a cup of caffeine?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." I answer. I look to Dean before walking out of the room.

Dean's POV

Sam leaves and I'm left alone with dad.

"What is it?" I ask him after Sam is out of earshot. There's something Dad isn't telling us.

"You know, when, uh...when you were a kid, I'd come home from a hunt, and after what I'd seen, I'd be-I'd be wrecked." He says. "And you-you'd come up to me, and you'd put your hand on my shoulder, and you'd look me in the eye, and you'd...you'd say, 'it's okay, dad.' Dean...I'm sorry." What is he doing? Why is he bringing this up?

"Why?" I ask.

"You shouldn't have had to say that to me. I should've been saying that to you." He answers. "You know, I put-I put too much on your shoulders. I made you grow up too fast. You took care of Sammy, you took care of me. You did that. And you didn't complain, not once." Everything he's saying is true, but I can't help the feeling of this being some sort of goodbye. "I just want you to know...that I am so proud of you."

"This really you talkin'?" I ask. The last time he said he was proud of me, he was possessed.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's really me." He sniffles a little.

"Why're you sayin' this stuff?" I ask him. He comes closer and grabs my shoulder.

"I want you to watch out for Sammy and Shelby, okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, dad, you know I will." I look up at him in confusion. "You're scaring me."

"Don't be scared, Dean." Then he leans over to whisper something to me I never wanted to hear. As he backs away, I look at him with fear and confusion. Before I can really register what he said he walks out.

Shelby's POV

I need to wake up. I need to find a way to save John. Dean and Sam are gonna be devastated. He can't do this. I fight to wake up, the angel gone long ago. I open my eyes, but I see nothing. I sit bolt upright and unwillingly let out a scream. It's the loudest and longest scream I've ever let out. What is happening? I can't keep this up. I hear glass crack as people rush into the room around me. They try to get me to stop screaming, but I can't stop myself. Finally, the screaming subsides and the darkness fades away from my vision.

"Miss." I hear someone say to me. I look to her. I feel so tired, but I was asleep for hours. How can I be so exhausted. "You need to get some rest." The lady says.

"Hey, hey. Is she alright?" I hear the familiar voice of Sam from the doorway. I look over and see Sam and Dean standing in the door.

"She's fine." One of the nurses say. "We need to do some tests, and she needs some rest."

"Dean." I try to say through a scratchy throat as I reach for him. He looks around at the nurses before coming forward. Once he gets close enough, he takes my hand and sits on the bed. The nurses leave, followed by Sam. "Dean, a-are you okay?" I croak out.

"I'm fine, babe." He says, squeezing my hand. "You sound awful." He chuckles, which causes me to do the same.

"Yeah."

"Was that you screaming?" He asks.

"I think so." I whisper. "It was involuntary. I have no clue where it came from." There is a pause before I ask something I think I know the answer to. "Where's John?" Dean's eyes get misty as he looks down at his lap. "Oh God."

"Yeah, right before we heard you scream they declared it." His voice catches and I feel tears gather in my eyes. I look down at my hands in my lap, and I watch as the tears fall onto them.

"W-what are we gonna do?" I cry. Dean pulls me to him, and I continue to cry into his shirt. It doesn't really smell like him, but just the closeness is enough to calm me down a bit.

"I don't know." I hear his voice waver. He rubs my back to try and console me. How am I supposed to watch out for Sam and Dean, and help them through his death when I need help with it?

Dean POV

As Shelby cries into my chest I rub her back. I stare straight ahead of me at the large window of the room. It has a huge crack all the way through it. People stop and point at it in confusion. What could have caused that? It can't have been her scream. That makes no sense. Sam is on the other side of the window. He's probably thinking the same thing as me. Could this be like Sammy's visions? Is this some strange power she has because of that demon?

A/N: Well, he's gone. What do you think is with Shelby's screaming and blindness? I do have a plan with it, but I don't think it's gonna be figured out by the three of them. They will talk to Bobby about it, so stay tuned. Did you like the angel encounter with Shelby? I'm thinking it'll be an angel from the series, but I haven't decided which one yet. I also wanted to know if you guys like the switching POV. I sort of had to do it with this one, but if you like it I can do it with more. Anyways, I would love to read your thoughts in reviews and comments. I can't wait to read them.


	15. Between Cases 6

The doctors said I was good to go once all the tests came back. Before we're all actually discharged Bobby makes it to the hospital. He talks to the boys outside before he comes in to talk with me.

"Hey, munchkin, how ya feelin'?" He asks after giving me a hug and kissing me on the top of my head.

"I'm okay." I whisper because my throat still hurts from screaming. "How's Baby?" I ask, already knowing the impala is in rough shape.

"I told Sam we should cut our losses and sell 'er for scrap."

"Bobby, we can't." He holds up a finger to stop my freak out.

"Sam convinced me otherwise, and I brought it home." I relax into the pillows. "So, where were you sitting in that mangled mess anyway?"

"I sat behind the driver's seat. Dean was laying on my lap." He nods at my answer. "I was thrown out the door and blacked out."

"Alright, kiddo, you guys are gonna be out soon." I nod in understanding.

"We need to get John's body." I say.

"Don't worry about that. I gotcha covered." His smile is sad as he leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead. He stands up before heading towards the door. "You should get some rest before we leave." I nod in agreement as I hunker down in the hospital bed and try to take a nap for a little while.

"Shel," I hear. "Shel," I hear a bit louder. "Shelby!" My name is loud in my ear, making me sit up in the hospital bed. I look to the window and see that it's dark outside.

"Jeeze, how long was I asleep?" I ask, rubbing at my eyes.

"About five hours." Says the person who woke me up. I snap my head to look at them. It's Dean, and he's already in regular clothes. "They finally discharged us and they let Bobby take dad's body." I nod. "Bobby brought us fresh clothes to change into." He says as he places a small pile of my own clothes on the edge of the bed.

"Alright, I'll go change so we can get out of here." I say as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and grab the clothes before heading into the bathroom. I strip out of the hospital clothes before putting a new pair of underwear on, then a pair of light wash jeans, then a bra and a graphic superhero tee I haven't worn in years. There are no socks or shoes, so I head out to the room. Dean is just looking at me with a look I have seen many times before. "What? is my old highschool look turning you on?" I giggle. He snaps out of his stare and shakes his head.

"No." He answers defensively.

"Suure." I drag out as I walk over to the bed. "Socks or shoes?" I ask. He jolts like he just remembered something. He reaches into one of the pockets on his jacket to pull out a pair of mismatched ankle socks. One is a neon pink, and the other is black. Another thing I did when I was in my teens. "God. What shoes do you have for me?" He bends down to the floor and picks up a pair of black combat boots. "At least I like combat boots." I say as I hop on the bed and put the socks on before lacing up the boots how I like, tied half way up with the upper half folded over to reveal the fur lining on the inside. They used to be my winter boots and they are super comfy. Once everything is how I want it, I stand up and face Dean. "Ready?" I ask.

"Yeah." he answers, but he doesn't move to leave. Maybe now is when he'll say what he wanted to say in person. Sam did tell me about everything that happened with him and Dean, but he said that Dean didn't remember any of it. Maybe he remembered something.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" I ask. He comes over to me and hugs me tight.

"I love you so much, Babe." He says. My breath hitches as I hug him back.

"I love you too." I say back. I don't know if he actually remembers it from when he was a spirit, but I won't ask either. I just want to live in this moment for the rest of my life. Reluctantly we pull apart. He gives me a peck on the lips before we walk over to the door. Outside I see Sam holding a leather jacket out to me. It's a matte maroon color. I take it from him when he holds it out to me, and I put it on.

"Alright boys, let's go." I say. "Lead the way." I have only been in that room, so I have no clue where anything is. Sam starts down the hallway, and Dean and I follow him. I look over at Dean and lace my arm through his before resting my head on his shoulder.

We make our way to the bottom floor and see Bobby waiting out front. He takes us home to the junk yard, and I silently pray for help through this emotional time in all of our lives.


	16. Everybody Loves A Clown

A/N: Alright everyone, I want you to remember that this particular episode aired in October of 2006, so some of the information about a particular band in this chapter is because of this reason. I just wanted to warn everyone of that.

The night we bring John's body back to Bobby's we set up a pyre and burn his body. It's not just something they do in the Star Wars movies. All hunters do it so the bodies don't serve as vessels for Demons, and so that their spirits can be at rest. The three of us just watch the flames burn up John. I feel my eyes well up with tears. This man was a protector of mine. A teacher. A father figure. Dean stands to my left and Sam stands on the other side of him. The tears finally fall, but I quickly try to wipe them away. Sam breaks the silence among the three of us.

"Before he...before he...did he say anything to you?" He asks Dean. I can hear the sadness in his voice. "About anything?" I look up at Dean as Sam and I wait for his answer.

"No." He answers flatly. "Nothing." I see the tears in his eyes that he isn't letting fall. I grab his hand to tell him it's okay without saying a single word. He doesn't look away from the fire, but I see a tear run down his face before I look back at the burning body of one of the strongest men I've ever known.

-One Week Later-

Dean has been working on the Impala since we got back. We haven't really talked much. Sam and I have been training in the meantime. I started out on my own. It was my usual work out session. I would do a bit of yoga on a patch of grass deep in the junkyard, to stretch out. Even on the nice grass I would usually have a towel under me. Next, I would spar with the air, throwing punches and kicks at an invisible attacker. Then I would do a couple laps around the junkyard before doing some more yoga to settle down.

I used to do all of this with my earbuds in until I almost punched Sam in the face. We joked about it a little before Sam asked to join me. I agreed, and he became my sparring partner. He wasn't too excited about the yoga, but that didn't stop me from making him do it. I still have my music playing in one ear while we do each move, and Sam eventually asks about the music blasting through the other earbud.

"For such a calming thing like yoga, that seems like some intense music you're listening to." He chuckles as we go into warrior pose.

"To me this is calming music." I smile.

"Who is it?" He asks.

"You wouldn't know who it is." I answer.

"I didn't ask if I knew who it was." He chuckles again.

"It's a band called Paramore." I answer. "Spelled with an 'o-r-e' instead of an 'o-u-r'." I clarify. They're fairly new. I think they just released their first album last year."

"Hmm." Sam reacts.

"Yeah, I picked up the CD at some random store in my travels." I tell him. "I was able to put the music on Bobby's computer then load it on the iPod that I found in the junkyard."

Once we're done with our first yoga session of the day we spar for a bit before going on our run. We race each other and I can't help but laugh as Sam tries to speed past me only to trip over a rock in his path. I stop to make sure he's okay, still laughing, when he gets up and runs past me.

"Cheater!" I shout as I speed off to chase him. He beats me, obviously. As I catch my breath I look over to see the shell of the Impala with Dean's legs sticking out from under it. I look back at Sam and he shrugs. "How about we skip the ending yoga session." I say, out of breath. "I'm gonna go shower then make some sandwiches." I tell him.

"Okay." Sam agrees. I turn to Dean.

"Hey, you want anything for lunch?" I ask him, loud enough for him to hear me.

"I'm all set, thanks." He answers. I huff in frustration before stomping inside. I take a quick shower and get dressed in a pair of light wash jeans, a Marvel graphic tee, and my combat boots. I head to the kitchen and make myself a couple peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. As I eat one Sam comes down and takes the other one. He scarfs it down before heading outside. I look to Bobby in the next room. He just shrugs. I finish my sandwich, grab a bottle of water and head out to water my boyfriend. I laugh at that in my head. When I get out there I see Sam and Dean arguing.

"Say something, alright?! Hell, say anything!" Sam yells. "Aren't you angry?! Don't you want revenge?! But all you do is you sit out here, all day long, buried underneath this damn car."

"Revenge, huh?" Dean asks.

"Yeah."

"Sounds good." Dean replies. "Got any leads on where the demon is? Makin' heads or tails of any of dad's research? Cuz I sure ain't." I take a deep breath before walking to join them. "You know, when we do finally find it, oh, no, wait, like you said, the colt's gone. But I'm sure you figured out another way to kill it while you're running around and doing yoga with Shelby."

"Watch it!" I yell as I come up behind Sam and throw the bottle of water at Dean. He catches it clumsily. "I'll make you join us." He pauses as he looks down at the bottle of water in his hand.

"I'm just sayin' we got nothin'." He says as he opens the bottle and drinks some of it. "So, you know the only thing I can do is I can work on the car." He points to the shell of Baby with the bottle still in his hand.

"At least something's getting touched by you." I whisper under my breath.

"What?" Dean shoots at me.

"You know exactly what I said." I shoot back at him. He just glares at me before crouching down by the car.

"Well, we got somethin', alright?" Sam says. "It's what I came out here to tell you." He takes out a phone and presses a few buttons on it as he speaks. "It's one of dad's old phones. It took me a while, but I cracked his voicemail code. Listen to this." He puts the phone on speaker so Dean and I can hear it.

"John, it's Ellen...again." The voice immediately rings bells, and I smile. "Look, don't be stubborn. You know I can help you. Call me."

"How old is that message?" I ask Sam as I pull out my own cell.

"Four months." He answers.

"Dad saved that chick's message for four months?" Dean asks.

"Yeah." Sam replies.

"Well, who's Ellen?" Dean asks as I dial Ellen on my phone and walk away from the boys. It rings until I get the answering machine.

"Hey Ellen, It's Shelby. Are you screening me? Because you are becoming a lot like John in that respect if you are. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'll be visiting soon. I guess I'll see you when I get there." I leave the message and I walk back to the guys.

"Hey, do you know if there are any cars Bobby would let us use?" Dean asks me. "Sam got an address." I think for a second and chuckle.

"I know one he'll let us take, but you aren't gonna like it." I say as I lead them over to an old beat up van. "This is it." I say, gesturing to the van.

"You gotta be kidding me." Dean says.

"I'll go tell Bobby we're going." I tell the boys. They grab a few things, including a maroon leather jacket, as I tell Bobby we're going to see Ellen. He gives me the keys to the van and the three of us were off with Dean driving. We drive up to the bar Ellen owns, Roadhouse, and Dean parks.

"This is humiliating." Dean says as he takes the keys out of the ignition. All of us get out of the van. "I feel like a friggin' soccer mom."

"It's the only running car we have." I tell him. "So, suck it up, babe." The boys go around trying to see if anyone was there. I try the doorknob, but it's locked. It is the day time, so the bar is closed right now. Dean comes over and picks the lock. When we walk in my eyes go to the passed out man on the pool table at the back of the bar. I smile and shake my head as I immediately sit at one of the bar stools. The boys look at me like I'm crazy until an electrical spark distracts them. They walk over to the pool table to try and talk to the man passed out on it.

"Hey, buddy?" Sam asks to try and wake him up. I see Dean walk closer. "I'm guessin' that isn't Ellen."

"Nope." I say from my seat at the bar. Sam goes into the hallway that leads to the kitchen and the bedrooms. I shake my head and look down at the bar top I pick at a few loose slivers until Dean says something.

"Oh, God, please let that be a rifle." I turn around to see Jo cocking said rifle with the muzzle on Dean's back.

"No, I'm just real happy to see you." I chuckle at her words and she looks over at me.

"What's your deal?" Dean asks.

"Shelby?" Jo asks. I nod my head, but Dean starts turning around. Jo tenses up a bit. "Don't move." She tells him.

"Not moving...copy that."

"Rifle 101, Jo." I tell her. "When you put one on someone, you don't want to put it right against their back."

"Why?" She asks. I wink at Dean.

"'Cause it makes it real easy to do..." Dean starts before spinning around and grabbing the rifle from her hands. He unloads it. "...That." Jo then punches him right in the nose and takes the rifle back. "Sam!" He shouts as I rush over to him. "We need some help in here."

"You alright, babe?" I ask, trying not to laugh. "And we don't need help in here." I tell him.

"I can't see." Dean says as I grab his face. "I can't even see."

"Oh,you'll be fine." I tell him. "You don't know what not being able to see is." I giggle as I kiss his cheek. I hear the swinging door open, and I look over to see Sam with his hands on his head.

"Sorry, Dean." Sam says. "I can't help right now. I'm, uh, a little tied up." Finally, I see Ellen holding a gun to Sam's head.

"Alright, alright, everyone just calm down." I say. "Ellen they're with me. These are the Winchester brothers." She looks to me with surprise.

"Shelby." She says. Then she looks at the two boys. "Sam and Dean Winchester?"

"Yeah." The three of us say.

"Son of a bitch." She says.

"Didn't you get my message?" I ask.

"Yeah, but you didn't say anything about bringing John Winchester's boys with you." She says. Sam and Dean both look at me.

"You know them?" Dean asks.

"Yeah. I hung around this place a lot after... Well, you know." I say, not wanting to say it and not needing to say it. Everyone in the room knew what I was talking about. Ellen then laughs to break the tension in the room and lowers her gun.

"Hey, I'm Ellen." She says. Then she gestures to Jo. "That's my daughter, Jo."

"Hey." Jo says. I look to the pool table.

"You're not gonna hit me again are ya?" Dean asks her.

"Not unless I say she can." I joke as take off my jacket to get comfortable and walk over to the pool table. Ellen gets Dean some ice to help him with the punch to his face. I sit on the pool table. I'm just wondering how long it will take him to wake up.

"You called our dad, said you could help...help with what?" Dean asks Ellen.

"Well, the demon, of course." She answers. "I heard he was closing in on it."

"Was there an article in the _Demon Hunter's Quarterly_ that I missed?" Dean asks. "I mean, who are you? How do you know about all this?"

"Hey, I just run a saloon." Ellen answers. "But, hunters have been known to pass through now and again. Including your dad, a long time ago. John was like family once."

"Oh yeah? How come he's never mentioned you before?" Dean asks.

"You'd have to ask him that." I snap my head to look over at her and shake my head vigorously. She looks at me with confusion.

"So, why exactly do we need your help?" Dean asks.

"Hey, don't do me any favors." Ellen tells them. "Look, if you don't want my help, fine. Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John wouldn't have sent you if..."

"Ellen." I say. She looks to me and I shake my head. Her eyes go wide as she realizes what I'm trying to tell her.

"He didn't send you." She says. The boys stay silent and so do I. "He's alright, isn't he?" I look down at my lap as Sam answers.

"No," He says. "No, he isn't." I wipe at the tear making its way down my cheek. "It was the demon, we think. Umm. It just got him before he got it, I guess."

"I'm so sorry." Ellen says.

"It's okay." Dean says. "We're alright."

"Really, I know how close you and your dad w-"

"Really, lady, I'm fine." Dean interrupts her. I look up and Ellen meets my gaze, questioning if his words are the truth. I shake my head 'no'.

"So, look, if you can help..." Sam says. "We could use all the help we can get."

"Well, we can't." Ellen says. Then she looks towards me with a smile. "But Ash will." I look at the man laying on the pool table I'm currently sitting on.

"Who's Ash?" Sam asks. I lean down close to Ash's ear and whisper something I know he'll wake up for.

"Hey, Ashy Boy." I coo. "You better wake up or I'll cut off your beautiful mullet." He jolts up.

"Don't you even dare!" He shouts, and I can't help but laugh.

"Like I could ever kill that majestic creature." I tell him with a smile. He looks at me with shock.

"Shelly!" He shouts and pulls me in for the best hug I've had in a really long time.

"That's Ash?" I hear Sam ask.

"Mm-hmm. He's a genius." Jo tells him.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a lifetime." Ash says to me.

"I know, it's been too long." I agree. "Any replacements lately?" I ask as I pull out of the hug.

"Not really. It's hard for anyone to live up to you in every way." He winks at me.

"Excuse me?" Dean asks, standing from his seat. His tone is very defensive.

"Ash, this is my boyfriend, Dean, and his brother Sam." I introduce. Ash walks up to Dean with a cocky pep in his step.

"So this is Dean." He says. He looks him up and down, then looks to me. "I thought he'd be taller."

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" Dean asks. I immediately get in between them.

"Ash, Dean is going through a rough time in his life. You'll have to forgive his hot temper right now." Then I turn to Dean. "And Dean, Ash helped me through a rough time in _my_ life, so back off." I say firmly. Dean glares at Ash, and I flick his nose, knowing it'll hurt because of Jo's punch from earlier. "Stop it." Ash moves over to sit at the bar and Sam sets all of John's research on the demon in front of him.

"You gotta be kiddin' me. This guy's no genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie."

"Dean." I reprimand.

"I like you." Ash says a he leans back a little. "I'm glad you and Shelly made up."

"Thanks." Dean says. I roll my eyes.

"Just give 'im a chance." Jo says from the other side of the bar. She sets down a shot of jack in front of me. "I figure you're gonna need it." She whispers to me. I immediately throw it back, feeling it go down my throat. I hand the glass back to her.

"Thanks." I tell her.

"Alright." Dean says as he takes a seat. "Well, this stuff's about a year's worth of our dad's work, so let's see what you make of it." Ash opens the large envelope and pulls out all of the papers and research. He quickly looks through it.

"Come on. This crap ain't real." Ash says. "Ain't nobody can track a demon like this." I look to the boys before looking to Ash.

"John could." I tell him.

"These are nonparametric statistical overviews, cross spectrum correlations. I mean...damn." Ash says as he picks up one paper in particular. "They're signs, omens. Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms. You ever been struck by lightning?" He asks. "It ain't fun." I chuckle at that.

"Can you track it or not?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, with this, I think so." Ash answers him. "But it's gonna take time. Uh, gimme..." I can see him calculating the time he'll need in his head. "51 hours." He then gathers all the pages and heads back to his room.

"Hey, man!" Dean shouts to get his attention.

"Yeah." Ash says turning around.

"By the way, I uh dig the haircut." Dean says. I smile at Ash, and subconsciously I start playing with my hair.

"All business up front..." Ash says as he points to his hair. "Party in the back." He finishes as he runs his hand through his hair to the end. As he leaves I bite my lip.

"What are you doing?" I hear Dean ask me. I snap out of my actions and look back at the boys.

"What?" I ask.

"You're playin' with your hair and biting your lip." Dean says. I look to Sam next to him, and he's trying not to laugh. "What're you horny or somethin'?"

"Maybe I wouldn't be if I got any in the past week." I tell him as I get up and go into the kitchen area to see if I can make anything. I hear Sam 'oooh', then 'ow' as Dean punches him in the arm. I just laugh to myself. When I find nothing I'm really craving enough to cook myself I come back into the bar area and sit on the barstool Ash had been sitting on before. I see Jo walk around the bar before heading over to clean the tables on the other side of the room. I see the way she was eyeing Dean, and I roll my eyes. I can tell she already has a crush on him. I mean, who wouldn't? But he's with me, and she is _way_ too young. I look to Dean, seeing him following her with his eyes. I hit his arm.

"Ow!" He says, looking back at me. "What was that for?"

"Really?" I ask. "You really have to ask why I did that? She's the age we were when we first started going out. She is off-limits, even for flirting."

"Oh, come on. I'm not flirting with her." Dean tells me.

"Are you kidding me? Your eyes are always flirting." I tell him. "She's practically like my baby sister with how much I hung out here."

"What, you didn't spend the whole time sucking face with Mullet?" I chuckle at the nickname.

"It's not like it got any farther than that." I tell him. He scoffs at my words.

"Sure it didn't." He says.

"I know it didn't." I hear Ellen pipe up in my defense. We look up at her. "Their make out sessions were bad enough."

"Yeah, so let's not talk about it unless you'd like to tell me about all the women you've been with in the time we weren't together." I say. "I'm sure you did plenty more than just make out." I state the truth. We fall into a slight silence until Sam asks Ellen something.

"Hey, Ellen, what is that?" He asks, pointing to the counter behind the bar. I follow the direction of his finger, but I still don't know what he's pointing at.

"It's a police scanner." Ellen answers. "We, uh, we keep tabs on things-" This is when Dean swivels around in the barstool and walks over to the table Jo is currently cleaning. I stare daggers at his back. What is he doing?

"No, no, no, no. Um, the folder." Sam interrupts her. I look back at the counter and next to the police scanner is a folder with red writing on it. Ellen pauses before walking back to go get the folder and bringing it over to us.

"Uh...I was gonna give this to a friend of mine," She starts. "But take a look if you want."

"Thanks." Sam says as she sets the folder on the bar in front of him. I move to the barstool Dean had been sitting in to get a closer look at the contents of the folder.

Dean's POV

I'm not up for digging into anything other than the one demon we've been trying to track down our whole lives. So, when Sam points out the file on the back counter I decide to remove myself from the situation. I figure, if Jo is like a little sister to Shelby, maybe I should get to know her a little more.

"So," I say to get the young girl's attention as I sit at one of the tables close to where she is. "How'd your mom get into this stuff, anyway?"

"My dad." She answers. "He was a hunter...He passed away." That's got me thinking about my own dad.

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago." She tells me. "I was just a kid. Sorry to hear about _your_ dad."

"Yeah." I say, looking down at the table. "So, uh, I guess I got 51 hours to waste." I say. "Maybe tonight we should uh..." What am I saying? I look back at Shelby, looking at the folder with Sam. I sigh before looking back at Jo. This girl is like Shelby's sister. She's practically family, and if I'm really that up for something I have Shel. "Oh, you know what? Never mind."

"What?" She asks.

"Nothin', just uh...wrong place, wrong time." I tell her. She looks past me to the bar where I looked.

"You know, I thought you were gonna toss me some cheap pick-up line." She tells me. I just chuckle to myself. "Most hunters come through that door think they can get in my pants with some pizza, a six-pack, and side one of 'Zeppelin IV'."

"W-w-what a bunch of scumbags." I stutter. I have done that before.

"When Shelby was around, she'd toss them out...literally." She tells me. "Sometimes she'd throw a few punches, too. But only if she knew they already had girlfriends. And, you aren't one of those guys."

"I guess not."

"Dean," I hear Shelby get my attention. "Come here. Check this out." I take a deep breath and stand up before walking up behind Shelby.

"Yeah." I say, as I wrap my arms around Shelby.

Shelby's POV

I call Dean over and he walks up behind me. He wraps his arms around my middle and kisses my neck before actually looking at the pages in front of us. What is up with him?

"A few murders, not far from here, that Ellen caught wind of." Sam says. "Looks to us like there might be a hunt."

"Yeah, so?" Dean asks.

"So," I say. "I told her we'd check it out." I tell him. He does not seem so excited. He lets out a sigh before dropping his forehead to my shoulder. "You can get back to working on the car when we're all done with this." I tell him as I reach up and pet his hair to try and comfort him.

I grab my jacket, and we're off to get ready for the trip, and by nightfall we're on our way. Sam and I explain the case and he is not excited at all.

"You gotta be kidding me." He says. "Killer clown?"

"Yeah." Sam says. "He left the daughter unharmed and killed the parents."

"Ripped them to pieces, actually." I clarify.

"And the family was at some carnival that night?" Dean asks.

"Right, right the, uh, Cooper Carnival." Sam says.

"So, how do you know we're not dealing with some psycho carny in a clown suit?" Dean asks.

"Well the cops have no viable leads." Sam says.

"And, all the employees were tearing down shop." I add. "They all had alibis."

"Plus, the girl said she saw a clown vanish into thin air." Sam continues. "Cops are sayin' trauma, of course."

"Well, I know what you're thinking, Sam." Dean says. Sam and I both look at him. "'Why'd it have to be clowns?'" I smile at that.

"Oh, gimme a break." Sam says. Dean laughs.

"You didn't think I remembered, did you?"

"Don't be mean." I say to Dean, but I still have a smile plastered on my face.

"I mean, come on, you still bust out cryin' whenever you see Ronald McDonald on the television."

"At least he's not scared of flyin'." I point out.

"Planes crash!" Dean shouts.

"And apparently, clowns kill." Sam points out. Dean pauses before getting back to the case.

"So, these type of murders," He starts. "They ever happen before?" Sam looks at the file in front of him with his flashlight.

"Uh, according to the file, 1981, The Bunker Brother's Circus." Sam says. "Same M.O. It happened three different times, three different locales."

"It's weird though, if it's a spirit, it's usually bound to a specific locale." Dean points out. "You know, a house or a town."

"So, how's this one moving from city to city?" I ask. "Carnival to carnival?"

"Cursed object, maybe." Dean suggests. "Spirit attaches itself to something, and the, uh, carnival carries it around with them."

"Great," Sam says. "Paranormal scavenger hunt."

"This case was Shel's idea." Dean says.

"Yeah, but I agreed to it." Sam says.

"By the way, why is that?" Dean asks. "You two were awfully quick to jump on this job."

"So?" Sam and I say at the same time.

"It's just not like you, that's all." Dean says. "I thought you were hell-bent for leather on the demon hunt."

"I don't know," Sam says. "I just think takin' this job, it's what dad would've wanted us to do."

"What dad would've wanted?" I roll my eyes at Dean's words. Here we go.

"Yeah." Sam answers. "So?"

"Nothin'." Dean says. I lean back as silence grows in the van. At least I don't have to listen to them argue the whole way. I end up falling into a dreamless sleep, and when I wake up it's light out and we've just parked outside of the carnival. I look out the windshield to see the police talking to the carnies. "Check it out...Five-O"

"That's not good." I say as I yawn. All three of us get out of the van.

"Alright, Shelby, you stay with Sammy while I go talk to the cops." Dean says. I give him a thumbs up as Sam and I hang out by one of the rides. I try to wake myself up as Sam looks at her crazy ride behind us. An extremely short woman walks by dressed in brightly colored clothing, but stops to look at us. I can tell Sammy was growing tense next to me, so I put a hand on his back to calm him down.

"Good morning, Miss. Nice day out, huh?" I ask the small woman. She says nothing as she continues to walk away from us. He lets out a breath as I rub his back. "It's okay, Sammy, I got your back." I say with a smile. I look up to see Dean coming back to us.

"Did you get her number?" Dean asks his brother. Sam just looks at him.

"More murders?" I ask.

"Two more last night." Dean answers. "Apparently, they were ripped to shreds, and they had a little boy with them."

"Who fingered a clown." Sam guesses. Dean and I look to Sam. He looks to Dean and then me. "What?" He asks.

"Yes, a clown, who apparently vanished into thin air." Dean explains.

"Same M.O." I state the obvious.

"Dean, you know, looking for a cursed object, It's like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles." Sam says. "It could be anything."

"Well, it's bound to give off EMF, so we'll just have to scan everything." Dean says.

"This is gonna be a long day." I say to myself.

"Oh, good." Sam says in a fake excited voice. "That's nice and inconspicuous."

"We'll have to blend in somehow." I say. Dean looks over at a 'help wanted' sign. "I guess we're runnin' off with the circus boys." I walk over to one of the workers and ask who we talk to about getting a job. They point us in the direction of one of the tents. I thank them and lead the boys to the tent. Inside is a man throwing knives at a target. I watch in amazement as he hits the bulls eye every single time. It's like it's second nature to him.

"Excuse me. We're lookin' for a Mr. Cooper." Dean says to the man. "Have you seen him around?" The man turns around, but his mannerisms send me a hint of why he's in the circus just throwing knives at a target.

"What is that?" The man asks. "Some kind of joke?" I pull on Dean's sleeve to get his ear closer to me so I can whisper to him.

"He's blind, babe." I tell him. The man takes his thick glasses off to confirm my comment.

"Oh, God, I-I-I'm sorry." Dean says, but the man talks over him.

"You think I wouldn't give my eyeteeth to see Mr. Cooper or a sunset or anything at all?"

"Wanna give me a little help here?" Dean asks Sam and I.

"Not really." Sam says.

"I'm really sorry, sir." I say. "My boyfriend is not very observant. I offer my deepest apologies." I see the man smile. before another voice comes into the tent.

"Hey, Barry, is there a problem?" All three of us turn to look at the new addition to the area. It's a small man in a multi-colored outfit.

"No, no. Just a misunderstanding." The blind man, Barry, says.

"If you say so." The small man says before looking to me. "Hey, Sweety. You on the market?"

"I'm very flattered, but I'm actually taken." I say as I grab Dean's hand.

"Hm, too bad." The small man says. He continues to look at me, and it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Okay, okay. Get your little wandering eyes outta here?" Dean says.

"Little?" The guy asks, getting defensive. "You son of a bitch."

"No, no, no, no!" Dean tries to defend himself. "I'm just-could somebody tell me where Mr. Cooper is?" I hear Sam laugh, and I send a glare his way.

"Stop it, Sammy." I scold him. I turn to the small man. "Could you please take us to Mr. Cooper?" I ask him.

"Of course, but just for you." He says as he leads the way. We're brought to a trailer. "Hey Bossman!" The small man shouts. "We got some new recruits!" A man opens the door to the trailer and looks at Sam, Dean and I.

"Alright, come on in." The man says, gesturing for us to enter the trailer. "You three picked a hell of a time to join up." He tells us. "Take a seat." There are only two seats in front of the man's desk. One is normal, and the other one looks like it's for a child. It's shaped like clown. Dean quickly picks the normal chair, pulling me into his lap. That means Sam was forced to take the clown chair. "We got all kinds of local trouble." I reach over and pat Sam's hand as he sits down.

"What do you mean." Dean asks the man.

"A couple of folks got themselves murdered." Sam seems extremely uncomfortable sitting in the chair. I feel bad for him. "Cops always seem to start here first. So, you three ever work the circuit before?"

"Uh, yes, sir, last year through Texas and Arkansas." Sam answers.

"Yeah." Dean confirms, and I nod my head.

"Doing what?" Mr. Cooper asks. "Ride jockeys? Pull shoot? A-and-S men?"

"I dealt with concessions a lot." I tell the man. "Sometimes I'd be the one to walk around with the snacks to sell too. I mean, we've done a little bit of everything, now that I really think about it." The man looks at us for a second.

"You three have never worked a show in your lives before, have you?" Mr. Cooper asks, stating the truth. Sam and I are silent.

"Nope." Dean answers with the truth. "But we really need the work. So-and, uh, Sam here's got a thing for the bearded lady." I shoot a glare at Dean as he laughs. When he notices, he stops immediately.

"You see that picture?" Mr. Cooper says as he points to a picture on the wall behind him. "That's my daddy."

"You look just like him." Sam comments.

"He was in the business...ran a freak show 'til they outlawed them most places. Apparently, displaying the deformed isn't dignified." Mr. Cooper tells us. "So, most of the performers went from honest work to rotting in hospitals and asylums. That's progress, I guess." I feel almost guilty, but I don't know why. "You see, this place is a refugee for outcasts, always has been, for folks that don't fit in nowhere else. But you three...you should go to school," He looks to Sam. "Find a girl." Then he looks to Dean and I. "Have 2.5 kids, live regular." His tone is stern, and we just sit there. Sam leans forward.

"Sir...we don't wanna go to school, and we don't want regular." I'm a little surprised at Sam's words. Is that what he thinks now? Does he really not wanna go back to school? Or is he just lying to get in this place. "We want this." Mr. Cooper thinks about his words for a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity.

"Alright, I'll see what I can give ya." He tells us. "Just take a walk around while I dig somethin' up." We thank him as we leave his trailer and walk around the faire has his hands in his jacket pockets, so I thread my arm through the hole his right arm makes.

"Hmm." I hear Dean sound.

"What?" Sam asks him.

"That whole, uh, 'I don't wanna go back to school' thing..." Dean says. "You just sayin' that to Cooper, or were you, you know, sayin' it?" I look to Sam, wondering the same thing. He's silent for a long time.

"Sam?" I ask.

"I don't know." Sam finally answers.

"You don't know?" Dean asks. "I thought that once the demon was dead, and the fat lady sings, that you were gonna take off, head back to wussy state." I smack Dean's arm for the mean comment.

"I'm having second thoughts." Sam says as he stops walking and looks to us, and we stop too.

"Really?" Dean and I ask at the same time.

"Yeah, I think...dad would've wanted me to stick with the job." Sam says.

"Since when do you give a damn what dad wanted?" Dean asks.

"Dean." I try to calm him down, but he keeps going.

"You spent half your life doing what he didn't want, Sam." I rub my forehead in frustration as I pull my arm out of Dean's.

"Since he died, okay?" Sam answers. "You have a problem with that?"

"No," Dean says shaking his head. "I don't have a problem at all." Then he walks ahead of us. I look to Sam and he looks at me. Dean isn't airing out everything. I can tell he hasn't truly grieved yet. He's holding everything back, and it's gonna overflow if he doesn't let it out. I let out a sigh as I reluctantly follow Dean.

Mr. Cooper finds us and tells us he has some work that we could do that doesn't require any training to do. We're excited until he tells us that we're trash detail. We have to pick up the trash thrown on the ground by the customers. I'm not happy about it, but I'm not mad at it either. It'll give us a good cover while we case the place. We get our uniforms and tools before we're pushed out into the carnival. We split up, each of us has an EMF detector. I can not believe how much trash is just thrown on the ground by these people. A bunch of litterers. I see, across the way, Sam put his tools down and head into the exit of a fun house. I look around before going over to ask if there's anything wrong. By the time I get over there, Sam comes out.

"Find anything?" I ask him.

"Hold on." He says as he takes out his cell and dials a number. It's most likely Dean. "Hey, man." He greets. "Very funny." Dean must have made a clown joke. I roll my eyes. "Skeleton actually." Sam says. I get his attention and point towards the fun house. He nods 'yes' to answer me. "In the fun house. Listen, I was thinking, what if the spirit isn't attached to a cursed object. What if it's attached to it's own remains?"

"Did the bones give off EMF?" I ask. Sam looks confused.

"You two are tripping me out." Sam says. We must have said the same thing. "And, well, no, but-"

Dean's POV

"We should check it out anyway." I tell Sam. "I'm heading to you two." I hang up and start heading towards the fun house, but I'm stopped by the blind man grabbing my arm.

"What're you doin' here, kid?" He asks me.

"I'm just sweepin'." I answer.

"Bull." He rejects my answer. "And what were you talkin' about? Skeletons? What's EMF?"

"Dude, your blind-man hearing is out of control." I tell him.

"We're a tight-knit group. We don't like outsiders. We take care of our own problems." He says. "The only one of you three that has a chance of fittin' in here is your girl. At least she's nice to everyone.

"We got a problem?" I ask him.

"You tell me." The man scoffs. "You're the one talkin' about human bones." I think for a second before answering.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" I ask him.

"What?"

"My brother, my girl, and me...um, we're writing a book about 'em." I lie.

Shelby's POV

"What the hell is taking him so long?" I ask Sam.

"Long story, Babe." I hear from behind me.

"Mommy, look at the clown." We hear a kid say. All of us look to see a girl pointing at something.

"What clown?" Her mother asks. I follow where her finger is pointing, but there's nothing there.

"He disappeared." The little girl says.

"Come on, sweety. Come on." The mother says as she leads her daughter away from where they were standing. The three of us look at each other, knowing that this poor girl's parents could be the next target.

We end up keeping an eye on them as they go through with their activities at the carnival. When they go to leave, we quickly get in our van and follow them to their home for a stake out. We don't want another family being hurt by this thing.

"Dean, I cannot believe you told Papasian about the homicidal phantom clown." Sam says as we park in front of the family's home.

"No, I told him an _urban legend_ about a homicidal phantom clown." Dean clarifies. "I never said it was real." He pulls out a sawed off shot gun.

"Whoa, whoa." I say.

"Keep that down." Sam says as he pushes the gun out of sight.

"Oh, and get this." Dean says. "I mentioned the Bunker Brothers Circus in '81 and their, uh, evil-clown apocalypse. Guess what?"

"What?" Sam and I say at the same time.

"Before Mr. Cooper owned Cooper Carnival, he worked for Bunker Brothers." Dean drops the information. "He was their lot manager."

"So, you think, whatever the spirit's attached to Cooper just brought it with him?" Sam asks.

"It's possible." I answer.

"I can't believe we keep talking about clowns." Dean says. I roll my eyes and get comfortable. I have a feeling we'll be here all night. Hours go by without anything. My eyelids start to droop, and I rub at them to wake myself up. Eventually that stops working and I fall asleep. It doesn't feel like a long time before Sam shakes me and Dean awake. We both look at him as he points inside. We look to see the light on in the living room, and the girl is walking through the room.

We quickly get out of the van and find a way into the house through the front door. The little girl must have gone to the back door. We hide as the little girl lets the clown into the house and starts leading him towards our hiding places. Sam is in the living room, and Dean and I are in the dining room. With every step the clown makes I can hear the jingling of bells.

"Wanna see mommy and daddy?" The little girl asks as they both go by Dean and I. "They're upstairs." When they go by Sam he jumps out and grabs the girl to get her out of the way. As she screams Dean and I come out of hiding and aim our guns at the clown.

"Hey!" Dean shouts, making him look towards us. We both fire at him, hitting him in the chest. He falls to the ground, but as we get closer he sits up and looks at us. We make sure our guns are loaded before aiming at it again.

"Sam, watch out!" I shout as he stands up all the way. Before we're able to get another shot at it he jumps through the glass of the front door, shattering it, and he vanishes. What the hell is that thing?" I think to myself.

"What's goin' on here?" Asks the father frantically as he comes downstairs.

"Oh, my God!" The mother yells. "What are you doing to my daughter?"

"Get away from my kid!" The father says in a threatening tone. Sam lets the girl go, and all three of us run out the back door and back to the van.

"Mommy, daddy. They shot my clown." I hear the girl say to her parents before we get outside. We end up ditching the van in the woods somewhere by the time the sun comes up. We take the plates and all of our things, and we make sure that there's nothing that can be tracked to us or Bobby.

"You really think they saw our plates?" Sam asks.

"You can never be too careful, Sammy." I say as I close the sliding door on the driver's side.

"I hate the freakin' thing anyway." Dean adds. We pick up all of our bags and start walking back to town. "Well, one thing's for sure."

"What's that?" Sam asks.

"We're not dealing with a spirit." Dean answers.

"The rock salt definitely hit something solid." I add.

"Yeah, a person?" Sam asks. "Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible?"

"Yeah, and dressed up like a clown for kicks?" Dean asks.

"Is there anything helpful in John's journal?" I ask.

"Nope." Sam answers. I take out my cell and decide to call Ellen. Dean takes notice.

"Who you callin'?" Dean asks.

"Ellen." I tell him as I try to find her number in my phone. "Maybe her or Ash will know somethin'." I tell him.

"Speakin' of." Sam says. "You think, uh...you think dad and Ellen ever had a thing?" I scoff at the question.

"No way." Dean answers.

"Then why didn't he tell us about her." Sam says. I look up from my phone to the boys.

"I think they had a falling-out." I tell him. "I don't really know much. I figured it was none of my business."

"Yeah." Sam says. "You ever notice dad had a falling-out with just about everybody?" I finally find Ellen's number and dial, bringing it up to my ear. The boys are quiet. There's no answer, and I really don't feel like leaving a message. Phone tag just pisses me off. "Don't get all Maudlin on me, man."

"What do you mean?" Dean asks.

"He's talkin' about the strong, silent thing you're doing." I clarify. "It's stupid, and we're both over it."

"Oh, my God." Dean reacts.

"This isn't just anyone we're talkin' about." Sam says. "This is dad. I know how you felt about the man, and I'm sure Shelby does too."

"You know what, back off, alright?" Dean bites back. "Just because I'm not caring and sharing like you want me to."

"No, no, no. That's not what this is about, Dean." San says. "I don't care how you deal with this, but you have to deal with it, man." I decide to keep quiet, and let them talk it out. "Listen, I'm your brother, alright? I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"Dude, I'm okay!" Dean shouts. "I'm okay! Okay?! The next person who asks me if I'm okay, I'm gonna start throwin' punches."

"I'll take you up on that and throw some punches right back atcha." I say sending a glare his way. He shakes his head.

"These are your issues." Dean says. "Quit dumpin' them on me."

"What are you talkin' about?" Sam asks, stopping to look at Dean who stops too. I huff and stop too.

"I just think it's really interesting, this sudden obedience you have to dad." Dean says to Sam. "It's like, 'oh, what would dad want me to do?' Sam, you spent your entire life slugging it out with that man. I mean, Hell, you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him, and now that he's dead, now you wanna make it right? Well, I'm sorry, Sam, but you can't. It's too little too late."

"Why are you sayin' this to me?" Sam asks.

"Because I want you to be honest with yourself about this!" Dean shouts at him. "I'm dealin' with dad's death! Are you?!"

"Sammy, why don't you try Ellen?" I ask as I try to get in between them.

"Yeah, sure." He walks ahead on the road.

"You wouldn't have exploded at him like that if you were truly dealing with this, Dean. He's just trying to help you in the nicest way possible. Clearly it isn't working, so I'll have to be the grown up in this situation and do this the least nice way I know." I say with an assertive tone. "You blow up at him like that again, and I'll deck you on the spot. You hear me?" He scoffs and I see him roll his eyes as he turns to continue walking down the road. I kick at the back of his right knee and he falls to the ground.

"What the Hell, Shel?" Dean ask as he turns to look at her.

"I didn't hear an answer out of you big stupid mouth that loves shouting oh so much." I say as I take a step closer to him and put my finger on the back of my ear. "I'm waiting."

"Fine, I won't yell at Sam." He says.

"Good." He holds up a hand towards me. "What? You're not crippled. Get up on your own." He huffs as I walk by him.

"You know, I don't think you've dealt with it either." He says, stopping me in my tracks.

"What?" I ask, turning back to him. "I know how I grieve." I feel tears prick at the corner of my eyes. "And I will admit, I have not completely grieved John yet, but the last time I grieved the death of someone close to me I didn't leave my room for two months! The death before that? Well, I didn't shower for weeks, I didn't leave the house for months and I blamed myself for it happening every minute. I still blame myself. So I'm sorry if you don't think I've dealt with this particular death yet. I'm trying a healthier way to grieve for a change. So fuck you!" I go to turn around, but he lightly grabs my arm to stop me. We stay there like that for a couple seconds, but it felt so much longer.

"I'm so sorry, Shel. I wasn't thinking-"

"No, you weren't." I interrupt. He pulls me back into his chest and I can't stop the flood streaming down my face. "You weren't there last time." I sob. "And, I thought that this time we could help each other." He tries to pull me closer, if that's even possible. "But you're just stuck under that car all day. Then, we sleep in separate rooms. The only time I get to see you is my morning routine, and even then it's just your legs sticking out from under the shell of the impala."

"I know," I hear his voice waver as he sets his forehead on the back of my head. "I know, I'm so sorry, babe. I thought you would want to be alone."

"That's the last thing I want!" I shout at him. "And I know people grieve in different ways, but it's just so frustrating. I want to talk to you, but I can't. I've talked to Sam and Bobby, but it's not the same. You and me...we were on the road with him more than anyone. This is like losing my dad all over again." His forehead drops to my shoulder.

"I don't know what to say." He whispers. I take a deep breath and shake my head.

"There's nothing to say." I whisper back. "Just being around each other would be nice. But every time I tried to even sit with you outside in the past week, you tell me to go away."

"I'm sorry." He says. He lifts his head and kisses the back of mine. He loosens his grip on me and I pull away from him only to turn to look at him. He's looking to the ground, so I put a hand on either side of his face to make him look at me. We say nothing as we look into each other's eyes. The hurt and grief is very clear in his, and I'm sure he can see the same thing in mine. I bring him closer to me and I kiss him. He deepens it as he puts his arms back around my waist. Oh, God! I wanna jump him right here on the road. I don't care that Sammy is here. The thought of Sammy being with us does cause me to pull away and try to straighten out my clothing. I clear my throat.

"We should probably figure out this case, before we, uh, deal with...us." I tell Dean as I pick up my bag, that I had dropped.

"Yeah, yeah, right." He says as he clears his throat. We both turn to Sam who's still on the phone. We go over to him, and I look over to Dean. He's started biting at the nails on his right hand. I grab that hand to take it away from his mouth, kissing the back of it before intertwining my fingers with his.

"Thanks a lot." I hear Sam say before hanging up the phone. He walks over to us. "Rakshasa." He tells us. We start walking down the road again, only I'm between them now.

"What's that?" Dean asks.

Ellen's best guess." Sam says. "It's a race of ancient Hindu creatures. They appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, and they cannot enter a home without first being invited to."

"They dress up like clowns so the kids invite them in." I say.

"Yeah." Sam agrees.

"So, why don't they just munch on the kids?" Dean asks.

"No idea." Sam says. "Not enough meat on the bones, maybe?"

"What else you find out?" Dean asks.

"Well, apparently, Rakshasas live in squalor." Sam answers. "They sleep on a bed of dead insects."

"Nice." Dean reacts.

"Gross." I say at the same time.

"Yeah, and they have to feed a few times every 20 to 30 years." Sam adds. "Slow metabolism, I guess."

"That makes sense..." I say. "Cooper Carnival today, then the Bunker Brothers in '81."

"Right." Sam says. "Probably more before that."

"Who do we know that worked both shows?" Dean asks.

"Cooper?" Sam and I answer.

"Cooper." Dean confirms.

"You know, that picture of his father, that looked just like him." Sam comments.

"You think maybe it was him?" I ask.

"Well, who knows how old he is?" Sam answers.

"Ellen say how to kill him?" Dean asks.

"Legend goes, a dagger made of pure brass." Sam answers. I think about it before smiling.

"I think I know where to get one." I say.

"Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we're gonna wanna make damn sure it's him." Sam says.

"Oh, you're such a stickler for details, Sammy." Dean says. "Alright, Shel and I'll round up the blade. You go check if Cooper's got bedbugs." We all agree to the plan. By the time we get back to the carnival it's dark and the only people there were the workers. We split up. Sam goes to Cooper's trailer, and Dean and I go to find Barry. We get pretty lucky. We almost run into him as we turn a corner.

"We were just lookin' for you, Barry." I chuckle at our almost collision.

"Oh, yeah?" He asks. "What for?"

"We're lookin' for a specific type of knife, and we were wondering if you had one we could borrow." I tell him.

"Oh, alright." He nods. "What type are you needing?" He asks.

"One made of brass." Dean says.

"Well, you can come take a look at my collection." He says as he leads us to his tent where his knives were located. "I got all kinds of knives. I don't know if I got a brass one, though." He tells us as we get to the door. He lets us in and hits his walking stick on a trunk by the door. "Check the trunk." He tells us. I open the trunk to see a bunch of clothing. I crouch down and move some of it to see familiar clothing. I swallow the saliva in my mouth before tapping Dean on the leg as he stands next to me. I point out the clothing to him, and he turns to Barry.

"You?" He asks the 'blind' man. I look over my shoulder at him. He drops his walking stick and takes his glasses off to reveal clear eyes. He's not blind at all. I stand up next to Dean, and I glare at the fraud.

"Me." He smiles at us, and his eyes and face contort into something from a nightmare. He then disappears as he waves at us.

"Shit!" I yell. Dean heads straight for the door, but it's locked. Suddenly, a knife flies out of nowhere and hits the door, close to Dean's head. We looked around the room, then another knife flew at the door.

"Alright!" Dean yells before kicking the door to let us out. We run out, and try to go find Sam. We almost run right by him.

"Hey!" He calls from behind us.

"Hey." Dean and I say to him.

"So, Cooper thinks I'm a peeping tom, but it's not him." Sam tells us.

"Yeah, we know." I say. Both Dean and I look back the way we came, but we don't see anything. That doesn't mean he's not on our trail.

"It's the blind guy." Dean says. "He's here somewhere."

"Well, did you get the-"

"The brass blades?" I ask. "No!" I answer.

"Yeah, it's just been one of those days." Dean says.

"I got an idea." Sam says. "Come on." Dean and I follow Sam as he runs into the fun house. As we walk through a wall closes between Sam, and Dean and I.

"Sammy!" I yell as Dean yells 'Sam!'

"Dean! Shel!" We hear Sam say from the other side of the wall. "Find the maze, okay?!" He tells us. We hear crazed laughter behind us and I swallow nervously again. Dean starts walking, grabbing my hand in the process. The things happening in the fun house aren't scaring me, but the thought of this thing being anywhere are creeping me the fuck out. I grab onto Dean's arm with a death grip. We end up finding Sam.

"Hey!" Dean says. I let out a breath of relief, but I do not ease up on Dean's arm.

"Hey." Sam says. I squint my eyes at him. He's trying to take a pipe from an organ. "Where is it?"

"I don't know." I say.

"Shouldn't we see his clothes walking around?" Dean asks. A knife comes flying out of nowhere, and it nicks my hand grasping onto Dean's arm. It causes me to let go. Another knife flies at Dean again. "Ow!" He shouts. It must have nicked him.

"Sam!" I shout as I try to take one of the daggers out of the wall to release Dean.

"Where is it!?" Sam asks us.

"I don't know!" Dean shouts.

"How would we know!? We can't see him either!" I shout. I look up and see a lever. "What is that for?" I ask Dean. I point to the lever before continuing to try and get Dean free.

"It can't hurt at this point." He says as he reaches for the lever. It causes steam to fill the funhouse. "Sam, behind you! Behind you!" In look to see Sam thrust the brass pipe behind him. We hear the creature scream as I'm finally able to get one of the daggers from the wall. Dean reaches up to the lever and turns the steam off. I'm able to get the other dagger out, and Dean's finally free. We rush over to Sam and just see a pile of clothes lying on the floor with the brass pipe. "I hate fun houses."

"Ditto." I agree.

With our case solved and done, we head back to the Roadhouse. The three of us sit at the bar, Sam and Dean on the corner, and me to Dean's left. Ellen sets some beers in front of us.

"You three did a Hell of a job. Your dad would be proud." She tells us.

"Thanks." Sam tells her.

"Hey, you guys wanna go shoot some pool?" I ask them.

"Nah, I know better than to play against you, babe." Dean says. I smile and peck him on the lips before jumping off the barstool with my beer in my hand.

"What about you, Sammy?" He takes a sip of his beer before standing from his seat.

"Eh, why not?" He says.

"Good luck." Dean tells him. We head over to the pool table and once I choose my pool stick I look to the bar to see Jo talking to Dean.

"Jeeze." I sigh.

"What?" Sam asks.

"Nothing to worry about." I say. "It's just that I can tell Jo has a huge crush on Dean." He looks back to the bar.

"I don't think he'd try anything." Sam says as he sets up the balls in formation. I scoff at his words.

"I'm not worried about him doing somethin'." I tell him. "I'm worried about Jo getting hurt. He just better not lead her on, or I'll have to be the bad guy and tell her to back off." I turn to him. "Rock, paper, scissors for the break." I suggest. He smiles.

Dean's POV

I stay at the bar as Jo comes up to the seat Shelby had just been occupying.

"So." She says, breaking the silence.

"So."

"Am I gonna see you again?" She asks me.

"Well, I'm sure Shel's gonna wanna come back to at least visit." I tell her. "So, sure."

"I guess I wouldn't hate that." She says, a little disappointment in her voice.

"Can I be honest with you?" I ask her. She nods her head. "See, normally, I'd be hittin' on you so fast it'd make your head spin, but, uh..." I look over my shoulder at Sam and Shelby. She shoots the break and pumps her fist in victory.

"Stripes all the way, Sammy!" I hear her celebrate.

"These days..."

"Wrong place, wrong time?" She asks, causing me to turn back to look at her.

"Yeah."

"It's okay. I get it." She says. "Shelby's a good person." She says. "She's like a big sister to me. I know that no one wants to be on her bad side. I'm sure you know that too."

"Boy, do I." I chuckle.

"Do you love her?" Jo asks me. I look into the girl's eyes.

"Of course I do." I say. "That's not even a question in my mind."

"Alright." She says. "I can live with that." I chuckle before looking back to the pool table.

"What?" I hear Sam ask. "How is that even possible? I didn't even get a chance to get one."

"You shouldn't let her break next time, Sammy!" I call over to him. "There's a reason I didn't even want to try." That's when the swinging door opens and Ash walks through with our dad's research and a makeshift computer.

Shelby's POV

I beat Sam with expert precision, and he is not happy. Then I hear Ash walk in through the swinging door.

"Where you guys been?" He asks us. "I been waitin' for you."

"We were working a job, Ashy Boy." I tell him as I put my pool stick away and walk down to him. "Clowns."

"Clowns?" He asks. "What the-"

"You got somethin' for us, Ash?" Dean asks. The mullet genius sets his DIY laptop on the bar as Sam comes down to join us. I stand at the corner of the bar next to Dean, and he reaches an arm around me to pull me into his side. He kisses my cheek as Ash opens his laptop, and I smile.

"Did you find the demon?" Sam asks.

"It's nowhere around, at least nowhere I can find." Ash tells us. "But if this fugly bastard raises its head, I'll know. I mean, I'm on it like divine on dog dookie."

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

"I mean, if any of those signs or omens appear anywhere in the world," He says as he shows us the screen of his laptop. "My rig will go off like a fire alarm." Dean goes to touch it.

"You mind?" Dean asks permission. Ash sends a glare his way, and I pull his hand away from the laptop.

"I wouldn't, babe." I say to him.

"Yeah." Dean reluctantly agrees.

"What's up, man?" Ash asks.

"Ash, where did you learn to do all this?" Sam asks.

"M.I.T., before I got bounced for fighting." Came the answer.

"M.I.T.?" Sam asks.

"It's a school in Boston." Ash clarifies.

"Okay." Dean says. "Give us a call as soon as you know somethin'?"

"Si, si, compadre." Ash answers. The boys finish their beers and I give my unfinished beer to Ash. No reason it should go to waste. Then, we go to leave.

"Hey, listen." Ellen says as we get our jackets at the door. "Um, if you three need a place to stay, I got a couple beds out back." We look at each other before Dean answers for us.

"Thanks, but no." He says. "There's somethin' I gotta finish."

"Okay." Ellen says. The boys exit with me following behind. We head straight back to Bobby's place and I have to tell him about the van. He's not happy about it, but he understood. Then I headed straight to the patch of grass I usually do my yoga. There's also a tree there. I walk around to the back side of the tree where I've carved name into the tree. One is my dad's name, and the other one is John the second, or John II. I take out a blade and begin to carve another name below the other two. When I'm finished with the first three letters someone interrupts me.

"Shelby?" Came Dean's voice from the other side of the tree. I lean to the side to look at him.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Whatcha doin' back there?" He asks.

"Why don't you come back here and find out?" I tell him as I go back to carving the final letter in the new name I'm adding to the tree. I hear his steps get closer and I feel his presence next to me.

Dean's POV

I walk around the tree and see that there are names carved into it. The top name reads 'Dave'. I know that name is her dad's. The name below his reads 'John II', and I can feel tears sting the corners of my eyes. When she steps back from the tree I read the one she's just added, 'John'. These are all people she's lost.

"I'd put my mom's name there, but I never really knew her." She tells me, breaking the silence. I look to her and feel a tear roll down my cheek. She looks to me and smiles before reaching a hand up to wipe my tear away. "I didn't think I would be adding names to this tree after my dad." She tells me as I take a deep breath. "It's now a place I go to remember the loved ones I've lost." She takes a breath. "It's why I start my daily routine here. I feel closer to them." I have no idea what to say as more tears stream down my face. "It's okay to cry." She tells me. "This grass is no stranger to being watered by tears." She smiles and I can see her eyes beginning to water. She takes her hand away from my face and sits at the base of the tree. She pats the grass next to her and I take the invitation graciously.

"I feel like I'm the worst person on the planet." I tell her as I wipe at my eyes.

"Why?" She asks.

"Because, while I was out in the world, sleeping around and having a good time, you were here. You were grieving the loss of...of..." The tears just keep coming.

"No, no, no, no, no, Dean, this isn't meant to make you feel bad." She tells me. I look at her through blurry eyes. "It's meant to be a place to grieve and find peace. Nothing can change our past, but we can make a better future by learning from it." I sob at her words and she pulls me to her, hugging me. She ends up switching our position, her legs straddling me, sitting between my legs, her head on my chest as I lean back on the tree. It's such a comfortable position. "You gonna get back to the impala soon?" She asks.

"Maybe tomorrow." I tell her. "I need a break. I'll get back to her tomorrow. I'd rather spend the rest of the day with you." She lifts her head to look at me.

"Really?" She asks.

"Yeah." I answer. She smiles and wraps her arms around my neck as she starts a make-out session under this tree. I am in pure bliss, and the rest of the day we spend it together, like we're attached at the hip. We even end up sleeping in her room, and not sleeping at all if you know what I mean.

Shelby's POV

I wake up the next morning to Dean getting out of bed. We ended up having some sloppy, quick sex before taking a shower and going to bed. I think it was a stress reliever for both of us. I roll over to look at him as he gets his pants on.

"Hey." I say as I yawn.

"Hey." He says softly as he comes over to me. "I didn't mean to wake you." He says before leaning over to kiss my forehead. "I just wanted to get a head start on Baby." He says as he sits on the edge of the bed and puts his shirt and shoes on. I sit up and wrap my arms around his neck and nuzzle into the back of his neck.

"Do you have to?" I ask him. He takes one of my hands and kisses the back of it.

"Think about it this way," He says. "The quicker I get her fixed up the quicker we can get back on the road. We can hit a nice hotel, and we can get an extra room just for us."

"Oh, really?" I smile. "Can we get some strawberries and champagne sent to the room?"

"Anything you want." He says. I sigh before letting him go.

"Alright." I lean back on my hands as he stands up. "But if the strawberries aren't covered in chocolate I'm gonna be pissed." He chuckles.

"Okay." He says. He gives me another peck on the lips before leaving the room and heading downstairs and out to the shell of the impala. I decide I'm not gonna get back to sleep, so I get up and put on my long sleeved, knee-length, black silk kimono robe with pink flowers going up the middle of each side. I tie the belt before heading downstairs. I follow the smell of coffee to the kitchen where I see Bobby. He smiles and hands me a mug filled with the hot brown liquid.

"How ya feelin', Munchkin?" He asks as I sit at the table.

"Better." I answer, taking a sip.

"Good." He says getting himself a mug of coffee. "You know, maybe we should get your room sound proofed." He says. I laugh.

"Why?" I ask. He just looks at me and I think back to last night. I clear my throat before standing up. "Oh." I say as I take another sip. "Well, maybe we _should_ sound proof my room." I agree before I head out to the front porch, and lean against the banister. I see Sam talking to Dean.

When Sam walks away, and past me and into the house, I nod to him before looking back to Dean. He picks up a crowbar and bashes in a car window. It surprises me a bit and I almost spill my coffee on myself. I then watch as he turns to the trunk of the shell of the impala. He repeatedly hits it until there's a giant hole in it. I sigh as he gets out his built up aggression. It's a good sign, and I smile as I take another sip of my coffee. He drops the crowbar and walks around the car. He looks up and our eyes meet.

"Coffee?" I ask. "I'd come bring it over to you, but I don't feel like getting tetanus today." He nods and comes over to me. He doesn't grab the mug, instead he wraps his arms around my midsection and buries his head where my shoulder and neck meet. It surprises me at first, but I end up rubbing his back to comfort him. "Everything's gonna be fine, Babe." I say to him before kissing the side of his head. He lets me go and steps back a bit. I hold out the mug for him to take, and he sips some of the hot brown liquid. "I guess it's gonna take a little longer to get to my chocolate covered strawberries and champagne now, huh?" I smile at him. My question causes him to smile.

"I guess so." He says as he hands the mug back to me. "You should bring that robe with you when we get on the road." He tells me.

"Oh yeah? Why?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Because it's crazy sexy, and I'm forcing myself to _not_ throw you over my shoulder right now and bring you upstairs."

"Ooo, talk dirty to me." I say as I giggle. He smiles and pulls me in for another kiss before running back to the shell of the impala.

A/N: Some of the DeanxShelby emotional scenes might feel out of character, but I wanted to make sure that the Dean that knows Shelby in my story is different from the Dean in the actual show. I would love to know if you are liking this story so far. I would hope so. It's been a lot of long chapters, and you wouldn't be reading it if you didn't have some interest, right? I love you guys, and I can't wait to read the comments and reviews.


	17. Between Cases 7

It's been a few weeks since the impala was complete and operational. Dean did bring me to a nice hotel for a weekend, and we did not leave the room the entire time. The promised chocolate covered strawberries and champagne were present, plus some whipped cream. It was the greatest weekend I've had in a while, and don't worry, we used condoms and I made sure I was up to date on my birth control.

When we got back to Bobby's house he told us that he actually got Sam to help him sound proof my room. Well, I guess it's more like our room. Dean doesn't sleep anywhere else.

We start lookin' for cases and I call Ellen every day to check on them and to see if Ash has anything on the demon omens yet. So far, nothing. It's killin' the boys that we haven't gotten anything on the demon yet, and I'm getting a little antsy. If we don't get a case soon, I'm gonna go crazy.

A/N: I know, I know, it's not the best between cases. I didn't feel like writing a sex scene with my dad sitting next to me. Maybe I'll come back to this later and write it, but it will stay like this for now. If I do write more I will put it in an author's note, so look forward to that. I am almost done with season 6 and I am so excited! There have been some funny times and really emotional things happening, and I love it. I can't wait to get there. Anyways I can't wait to read your comments and reviews.


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